Dawn at Trout Lake

Bernie Krause | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2003)
• Original Release Date: January 1, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wild Sanctuary
• ASIN: B00008AIVE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #580,710 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Trout Lake North

2. Trout Lake South

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Renowned naturalist and sound designer Dr. Bernie Krause has traveled the world capturing the soundscapes of exotic natural environments. Dr. Krause began his groundbreaking work in bioacoustics and environmental recording in the late 1960’s, and much of his work has been accomplished with techniques and technologies that he personally developed. His "In A Wild Sanctuary" (1970) recording earned a place in history as being the first recording to use environmental sounds as both a central component of orchestration and as a statement about the environment.

Dr. Krause’s diverse achievements include 10 recordings for The Nature Company that have enjoyed over $24 million in gross sales over a period of 6 years. Development of the audio technology innovation known as the Intelligent Show System (for public exhibitions and installations), and his Music and Word Series of spoken word documents that include "Ishi – The Last Yahi." Dr. Krause recently published the book "Wild Soundscapes" (2002) that includes a full-length CD featuring a sampling of natural sounds.

Product Description

It is 4:00AM at this eastern Washington site and the wind has shifted, helpint to deflect traffic noise from a highway 7 miles to the east of us. Midnight rains have left a gossamer mist over the lake that enhances the mellifluous sounds coming from the coniferous forest encircling us. Dampness covering the ground and all the vegetation causes these lovely spring voices to reverberate everywhere. A raven circles overhead demonstrating the point. It’s that magical moment when trout leap at low-flying insects while red-winged blackbirds, chipping sparrows, Stellar’s jays, American robins, finches and Swainson’s thrushes sing melodies of supplication. Two sites – the north and south ends of the lake – were recorded at the same time and are reflected as two different, yet similar, biophonies.

DAWN at TROUT LAKE in eastern Washington State is one of the few places left where, on a spring morning,life is renewed with the resonance of birdsong at dawn; pulsating melodious rhythms and textures comparable to the best music we know of.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars classic Krause - beautiful and soothing, February 21, 2010

By 

bored99 (Hamden, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dawn at Trout Lake (Audio CD)

In the absence of any other reviews, I'd like to say that this is classic Krause ... you can imagine yourself either waking from camping at a beautiful locale, or maybe snoozing while fishing creekside on a warm, sunny day. Beautiful, calm nature noises such as bird calls, trees rustling in gentle wind, or occasional frogs (I think!) provide soothing background noise, giving the impresion of "surround sound" despite my having stereo speakers--you can distinctly tell that some sounds are near, some far, some left some right, etc... making for a soundscape with depth. It's hard to describe exactly how he makes it sound like you're out by a wide, open lake... no echoes, no artificial repetition (although you do get the occasional "dialogue" where it sounds like two birds talking to each other), no tinny noises, no cars rumbling in the distance or anything else that would distract you from feeling like you are resting beachside with no one for miles around.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spacious, especially if you are a bird, August 10, 2008

By 

Dr. Debra Jan Bibel "World Music Explorer" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dawn at Trout Lake (Audio CD)

Bernie Krause has made a career of preserving the sound of endangered and some now lost environments. This particular CD is the 3rd reincarnation, now mastered in 24-bit surround, of a recording of a lake in Washington state in the relative quiet of early morning. We hear sequentially two perspectives, north and south lake, recorded at the same. It does make a difference. The sound of distant birds resounding along the lake provide a sense of spaciousness, and the plethora of bird species of the Pacific Northwest saturate the habitat. One creature seemed to have alighted on a branch just above the microphone and for a thankfully brief moment pierces the background with its loud, shrill call. A trout jumping out of the lake and splashing back is also heard. By and large, however, this is a fine recording that reminds me of my own exerience at a large reservoir in Oregon, too distant for jet traffic but an evening rest stop on an avian flyway. Someday soon we shall never hear such sounds devoid of human activity.