Vancouver is known as the "home" of acoustic ecology, due principally to the pioneering work of the World Soundscape Project. In the early 1970's, the World Soundscape Project, under the direction of R. Murray Schafer, launched a research project on the soundscape of Vancouver including the publication of a book and a recording. In the early 1990's, the School of Communication of Simon Fraser University, with the guidance of Barry Truax, undertook a "revisitation" of the Vancouver soundscape, including a research project to re-record the acoustic environment of Vancouver and compare changes in the soundscape over the years. This week we present a little snipet from Soundscape Vancouver (1996) which will change the way you listen to the world...

As part of the effort, here at Pytheas, to help make a connection to contemporary composers and their music, check out THE COMPOSER SPEAKS ON THE WEB. This new feature brings together web video and streaming audio of composers talking about themselves, their music and their ideas. This expands our current bi-weekly COMPOSER PORTRAIT feature, making these resources accessible in three ways:

(1) on individual COMPOSER PAGES
(for example at Glass on Glass)
(2) in the COMPOSER PORTRAIT ARCHIVE
and (3) at THE COMPOSER SPEAKS ON THE WEB

Many people are familiar with Sergei Prokofiev's orchestral Suite from Lieutenant Kijé (1933). What most people do not know is that this music originated as the film score to Aleksandr Fajntsimmer's film of the same name. The plot is a political satire on the bureaucracy of Emperor Paul I of Russia, and can be seen in full - in 12 parts! - as this week's PYTHEAS SIGHTING - Contemporary Music on Film.

FROM THE PYTHEAS ARCHIVES brings us back to a performance by Nico Muhly (piano) and Nadia Sirota (viola) of selections from Muhly's film score to The Reader (2008).

Explore, Listen and Enjoy!
Vinny Fuerst
Pytheas Center for Contemporary Music