David Rothenberg and the exploration of nature's culture

David Rothenberg’s music is a flip side to that of John Luther Adams. If Luther Adams is Cage-esque, Rothenberg is more similar to Alvin Lucier. He aims to find the line between humans and nature through music.

I listened to three Rothenberg compositions: Insect Choir, Whale Music and Nightingales in Berlin.

‘Insect Choir’ is, in my opinion, the least fascinating of Rothenberg’s compositions. It is interesting how he patterns his composition on the lives of cicadas and how he turns their buzzing into jazzy and also, synth-like music.

Whale Music, however, is far more fascinating. By capturing the sounds of a whale (which are referred to as "songs"), the effect, perhaps the result of being recorded underwater, is almost electronic. Rothenberg layers his notes to make sure that he does not overshadow the whale. He allows it to dominate and he modulates his pitch in such a way that his music could be mistaken for whale sounds themselves. It is also interesting how the whale’s songs sound when juxtaposed with the music. The whale almost sounds like an a cappella singer, with the bass and rhythm voices. Rothenberg views the whale as his counterpart. His music is gentle, and he allows the whale to respond to his notes - they are performing together.

Rothenberg seems to operate on different levels, in terms of nature’s ‘participation’. In Insect Choir, the cicada buzz and his music are so different that his clarinet stands out. In Whale Music, he lets the whale takes the lead; his notes are meant to complement the whale's songs.

Nightingales in Berlin falls somewhere in between; it is Rothenberg’s most balanced piece - where nature and humans are on the same level. The nightingale’s song is the foundation here. However, he also introduces the human voice; a female voice (I listened to the version sung by Lembe Lokk) takes on the role of the human counterpart of the nightingale, which, again, is complemented by Rothenberg’s clarinet. But despite the overall jazziness of Rothenberg’s music, the vocals, which are isolated and sparse, tend to sound somewhat operatic, like an aria. Rothenberg also challenges the vocalist to use the whistle register to reach the same level as the nightingale.

Rothenberg’s quest to explore the ‘culture’ of nature is incredibly unique. Like Luther Adams, he makes us think about how the Earth functions. While Luther Adams focuses on the apocalyptic, depressing character of humanity, Rothenberg shows us the gentle and soothing side of nature. Listening to both, one after the other makes for a challenging and rewarding listen.

If Luther Adams wants listeners to think about humanity’s future, Rothenberg wants us to listen to nature. His music shows us that nature is capable of feeling more than the general senses and that it is capable of complex achievements similar to those of humans.