Flight of the Bumblebee II (Concert series 2021– / Vinyl record, Unit Records 2024)
16 horn speakers, insect signals, double bass, drums
As a tribute to the endangered insect world, the project presents a loudspeaker orchestra with human and insect musicians in botanical gardens and other places.
Central to the project is a unique interpretation of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee." The world record for the fastest interpretation of this instrumental piece is 53.82 seconds, which equals 13 notes per second. The Chuchchepati Orchestra counters this trend towards acceleration with the slowest interpretation to date. Designed as a series, only one bar of the composition is interpreted by double bass player Patrick Kessler per concert, in which he sounds around the notes of the composition.
The second component consists of scientific recordings from the emerging field of ‘biotremology’, which studies the vibrational communication of animals. Collected lab and field recordings of international scientists range from the delicate duets of plant lice to the urgent distress calls of kissing bugs. Each track is a sonic snapshot of the diverse acoustic behaviors found in the insect world, highlighting the sophisticated ways these creatures communicate.
In the concerts, airborne and substrate-borne signals are sent to sixteen horn speakers dispersed in the space. The insects blend with the instrumental sounds of the human musicians, crafting a multi-layered pulsating soundscape. A dialogue unfolds between the human musicians and their insect counterparts, including plant lice, bark beetles, aphids, wood ants, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, cicadas, grasshoppers, wasps, bees, and others. The results are tonal patterns, structures, and surfaces that complement and cross-fertilize each other. The Chuchchepati Orchestra takes off, swarming, and transforms the polyphonic sound space into a blooming playground.
The project bridges scientific research with auditory artistry, inviting listeners to engage with the complex sounds of our overlooked co-inhabitants, discovering our shared rhythms and unexpected connections.
Scientific insect recordings:
Sabina Avosani, Université de Fribourg, Switzerland
Julien Bota, WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland
Taina Conrad, University of Bayreuth, Germany
Asaf Ben David, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Monika Eberhard, University of Hamburg, Germany
Lionel Feugère & Gabriella Gibson, University of Greenwich, UK
Juan José López Díez, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
Yi-Chang Liao, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
Matías Muñoz, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Behare Rexhepi, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
Daniel Torrico, University of Desarrollo, Chile
Meta Virant-Doberlet, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
Concerts:
September 1, 2021 - Musikfestival Bern, Dampfzentrale, Bern, CH
September 4, 2021 - Musikfestival Bern, Dampfzentrale, Bern, CH
September 5, 2021 - Musikfestival Bern, PROGR, Bern, CH
December 3, 2021 - Tropenhaus, Botanischer Garten, St. Gallen, CH
December 14, 2021 - TSONAMI Arte Sonoro, Valparaíso, Chile (Radio)
September 11, 2022 - Schlossgarten Grünenstein, Balgach, CH
September 18, 2022 - Moods (outdoor), Zürich, CH
January 7, 2023 - Lautsprecherorchester Festival, Palace, St. Gallen, CH
April 1, 2023 - Eventi letterari 2023, Monte Verità, Ascona, CH
May 23, 2023 - Palmenhaus Botanischer Garten, Greifswald, D
May 24, 2023 - Botanischen Garten, Rostock, D
May 26, 2023 - Museum für Natur und Umwelt, Lübeck, D
May 28, 2023 - Gewächshaus Botanischer Garten, Hamburg, D
May 18, 2024 - Vernissage Klangweg, Alp Sellamatt, Alt St. Johann, CH
May 28, 2024 - Botanica – Botanischer Garten, Zürich, CH
May 28, 2024 - Helsinki, Zürich, CH
May 29, 2024 - Palace, St. Gallen, CH
May 30, 2024 - Kunsthalle, Appenzell, CH
May 31, 2024 - Botanischer Garten, Innsbruck, AT
June 1, 2024 - Botanischer Garten, Salzburg, AT
June 2, 2024 - Schlossgarten Wartegg, Rorschach, CH
June 8, 2024 - Jardin botaniques, Genève, CH
September 7, 2024 - Museumsnacht, Grosspflanzenhaus, Sukkulentensammlung, Zürich, CH
The first LP features a live performance of bar #012 at the Museum of Nature and Environment in Lübeck, Germany. The second LP compiles sixty scientific recordings that provide a deep dive into the vibrational communications of insects and spiders.
Record credits:
Concept: Patrick Kessler
Composition: Ludwig Berger, Patrick Kessler, Julian Sartorius
Scientific recordings: curated and processed, Ludwig Berger
Mastering Engineer: Ludwig Berger
Vinyl Mastering: Giuseppe Ielasi
Artwork: Buffet für Gestaltung, Markus Wicki
Label: Unit Records, CH Willisau
Photos by Julien Bota and Ludwig Berger