SONNTAG, 29. September 2002, 23:00 - 24:00, Ö1

KUNSTRADIO - RADIOKUNST


Reception Is Interception #3

CURATED BY: Anna Friz



English

Deutsch


I. "Attention Span #2"


II. "The Cesium Clock"


III. "Fessenden"




A CASSETTE OF THIS PROGRAM CAN BE ORDERED FROM THE "ORF TONBANDDIENST"
 

"Attention Span #2"
Eine Nacht in den Kolonien

by Annabelle Chvostek
 


PLAY

This piece is a drum and bass driven infomercial starting with a bit of news on the All New library at Alexandria in Egypt, then moving into some poetic text with origins closer to home. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is historically a confluence of written knowledge that flourished at the meeting point of the three continents, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The original library was destroyed, commonly believed to be caused by the Roman war in 47-48 BC, by Christian fanatics of the third century A.D. who were actively putting an end to paganism and by Moslems replacing the Byzantines in 640 A.D. It has been said that the destruction of the library at Alexandria put science back over a thousand years. Rumour has it a backup copy of the manuscripts exists.

I choose to draw a parallel between the destruction, adaptation and rediscovery of indigenous cultures and languages. As empires absorb, forests burn, lands are flooded by dams and mined into wastelands, languages are lost along with vast understandings. I want to draw attention to a poet my Anglo-European-Native grandmother adored, and my mother after her -- E. Pauline Johnson-Tekahionwake (1862-1913). Colonized Canada gave us the Queen's English. Within its language and written on paper, some essence of the land on which I stand is allowed to continue living.


 

The Cesium Clock -
Freedom or Control

by I8U
 

cesium formula


PLAY

Knowledge vs Power

Of all the elements, the one stable enough for the measurement of time is cesium. Of all cesium atoms, it is the isotope 133, which held in isolation in a vacuum uninterrupted by other atoms, can be relied upon to emit an exact frequency so time can be measured and accurately predict where a light photon emitted from the sun is within 2 feet. (2 nanoseconds.)
From one infinitesimal atom in a device the size of a suitcase, entire countries coordinate military activities that will affect people for generations.
One scientific intellectual pursuit, to measure a dimension accurately and give scientists a stable playing field to pursue more knowledge is put into production and sold to military operations who need to coordinate large amounts of personal and weaponry, that increasingly relies on technology and accuracy to keep war clean.

Planetary vs. Atomic

In 1967 the second was redefined to "the duration of 9,192,631,770 cycles of microwave light absorbed or emitted by the hyperfine transition of cesium-133 atoms in their ground state undisturbed by external fields*" instead of being defined in relation to the motion of the Earth.
A fundamental unit of time once measured by the entire planet in relation to the sun, now defined by one isotope of one element and the consistent microwave it emits.
Many people understand time and seconds without ever needing the accuracy given by the cesium clock, and continue to rely and understand the division of a day in the relationship of the sun and earth.

Intuitive vs Scientific

Music can be approached both scientifically and intuitively, some people choose to absorb the world of music in their life to determine their creativity and others prefer to scientifically study music.
Like rhythm in music, the cesium clock gives a stable measure from which to build around.
The idea of creating a composition using the cesium clock as source material is very attractive because my music is an attempt to overcome thes dichotomies and leave Interpretation to the listener.

*13th General Conference on Weights and Measures


 

"Fessenden"

by Gordon Krieger
 


PLAY

Music for Reginald Fessenden: inventor, eccentric, frequent litigant, frustrated character, expatriate Canadian and the first broadcaster.

Tesla and Marconi were more popular figures, who were better at selling themselves and their ideas. But it was Fessenden who brought language and music to radio. His was the first voice ever broadcast, on Christmas Eve 1906, a transmission heard by startled ship radio operators at sea. They were an audience more accustomed to the bleeps of morse code.

"Fessenden" is music for the emergence of language out of the static of radio.

Gordon Krieger: radios
Alistair Dempsey: contrabass


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