CD1

Playing time: 68'18"

Track 1 to 6 : Nightfall in Provence (France) – 31'06"
St. Rémy de Provence, August 1997
At dusk, the noise of cicadas and many other insects (including the Great Green Bush-cricket and Wart-biter) fills the air as darkness descends prematurely over a pine forest, scorched by the heat of a very hot day. A thunderstorm rumbles in the distance, making the cliffs of the Alpilles tremble. There is little wind, and the rain takes its time coming. At last, a heavy yet short-lived downpour gives way to the calls of Midwife Toads, before insect stridulations take over once again. Throughout the recording, crickets can be heard in the foreground, their songs slowing down as the night progresses (notably Gryllus campestris and the Italian Cricket).

Track 7 to 9 : A Clear Night on Elba Island (Italy) – 11'04"
May 1998
This small island in the Tuscan archipelago, east of Corsica, offers a rich mosaic of Mediterranean landscapes: mountains, countryside, scrubland, and coastlines.
In this nocturnal concert by the sea, a Nightingale performs a long solo, accompanied by the calls of Field Crickets and Sardinian Tree Frogs (Hyla sarda).

Track 10 to 12: Provence at Night (France) – 13'13"
The Alpilles, July 2000
In summer, the olive groves and low vegetation of the Alpilles are dominated by insects. Throughout the night, true crickets, bush crickets, and grasshoppers deliver an uninterrupted, high-pitched concert—often barely audible to humans—with a great diversity of rhythms and forms.
In the background: a Tawny Owl in flight, the bells of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, and the occasional call of a Magpie.

Track 13 to 15 : Before Sunrise in a Canadian Forest – 12'38"
Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, May 1995
At night, beside a small stream, beavers build dams with branches. The calls of Western Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris triseriata) and Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) mingle with the gnawing of beavers’ teeth. A little later, an American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) begins its long, continuous call. A few Pickerel Frogs (Lithobates palustris) reveal their presence with their hoarse croaks, while a Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) heralds the coming dawn.
In the still-dark forest, the drumming of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is heard. As the first glimmers of daylight appear, the songs of the Northern Waterthrush and Least Flycatcher join in. The recording concludes with the full, lyrical solo of the Wood Thrush.

CD 2

Playing time: 70'05"

Track 1 to 4: A Very Dark Night in Sardinia (Italy) – 15'24"
San Pantaleo, May 2000
Not far from the sea and near the lakesides, May nights are already warm. This nocturnal concert is dominated by the long solo of a Nightingale, hidden somewhere in the bushes. On the ground, insects and Sardinian Tree Frogs (Hyla sarda) create a near-deafening chorus.
Above, in the trees, two Scops Owls (Otus scops) calmly respond to each other, punctuating the night.
This recording was made with the support of the Italian association Ricercar (Cagliari).

Track 5 to 7: Lakeside Nocturnal Concert (France) – 12'02"
Dombes, June 1996
Around 1 a.m. on a moonless night, only the acoustics reveal the size of the lake. On the water: mostly Coots. Nearby, a Sedge Warbler sings from a bush, and in the foreground are insects (Field Crickets, Great Green Bush-crickets) and numerous amphibians along the banks—plus a few Mallards.
The soundscape is delicate and peaceful, occasionally interrupted by a strong chorus of Green Frogs (Pelophylax kl. esculentus), joined by Common Frogs (Rana temporaria) and Common Tree Frogs (Hyla arborea).
At the end, a young Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) perched in a tree calls for its parents.

Track 8 to 10: Nightfall in Brittany (France) – 12'47"
Mesquer, June 2000
As the sun sets along the edge of a wooded area and old salt marshes, the warm air buzzes with the sound of insects and Field Crickets.
In the distance, Shelducks display while a group of Avocets wheels in the sky, flying off into the night.
As darkness falls, the steady, intensifying chorus of Green Frogs (Pelophylax kl. esculentus) dominates for several hours.

Track 11 to 14: Nocturnal Concert in the Danube Delta (Romania) – 19'21"
May 1997
Throughout spring, day and night, the Danube Delta resounds with millions of amphibian voices. In forests, canals, reedbeds, and even cultivated fields, numerous species call simultaneously, forming a continuous sonic backdrop.
At night, the amphibians dominate alone—except for a Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and a few insects (including Marsh Crickets and Large Cone-heads).
Here, in a partly flooded meadow near the river, among tamarisk bushes and scattered oak trees, we hear: Fire-bellied Toads (Bombina bombina), Green Toads (Bufotes viridis), Common Tree Frogs (Hyla arborea), Green Frogs, and Common Frogs.
Occasionally, animal bells and distant barking dogs remind us that we are near the village of Crișan, deep in the heart of the Delta.

Track 15 to 16: African Nocturnal Concert (Kenya) – 10'56"
August 1997
Summer rains bring water to streams and lakes near the camps, located on the edges of major game reserves.
As elsewhere, where there is water, the night belongs to amphibians.
The concert begins with a variety of species recorded at the foot of Kilimanjaro in Amboseli National Park—including Bufotes cf. carens, whose resonant calls seem to echo—alongside a multitude of insect calls.
Later, under a small wooden bridge in the Masai Mara reserve (near the Tanzanian border), the loud, high-pitched calls of numerous amphibians join in—resembling the sound of African stone xylophones, or lithophones.