Bird Songs
Birds are nature's greatest songsmiths, and have accordingly served as inspiration for composers throughout the centuries – both in imitation of their song or through musical descriptions of their physical or poetic characteristics. This playlist takes you through a broad selection, from the beguiling nightingale to the busy blackbird, through to the graceful, melancholic swan and the soaring condor.
- Saint-Saëns•Le carnaval des animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) R 125 (Version for 2 Pianos and Chamber Ensemble)•10. Volière (Aviary)
- Stravinsky•Le chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), Symphonic Poem (1917)•3. Chant du rossignol
- Granados•Goyescas, Suite for Piano•Book 2 • 4. Quejas o la Maja y el Ruiseñor
- Handel•Concerto for Organ and Orchestra No. 13 in F major HWV 295 “The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”•II. Allegro
- Delius•Pieces for Small Orchestra RT VI/19 (1911-1912)•1. On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
- Eiges•The Cuckoo, for Piano op. 2 (ca. 1905)•The Cuckoo for Piano op. 2 (ca. 1905)
- Saint-Saëns•Le carnaval des animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) R 125 (Version for 2 Pianos and Chamber Ensemble)•9. Le coucou au fond des bois (The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods)
- Anonymous (Traditional)•The Cuckoo•The cuckoo is a pretty bird
- Anonymous•Mathew Holmes Lute Books (MS Dd.2.11): Robin is to the Greenwood gone (Bonny Sweet Robin) (Version for Instrumental Consort)•(No tempo indication)
- Lehár•As Wo die Lerche singt (Where the lark sings), Act I: Durch die weiten Felder•I. As Wo die Lerche singt (Where the lark sings), Act I: Durch die weiten Felder
- Messiaen•Catalogue d'oiseaux (1956-1958)•6. L'Alouette lulu (The Woodlark)
- Haydn•String Quartet in D major op. 64/5 Hob. III:63 “The Lark”•I. Allegro moderato
- Järnefelt•Leivo (The Lark)•I. Leivo (The Lark)
- Vaughan Williams•The Lark Ascending for Violin and Piano (1914, rev. 1920) (Version for Violin and Orchestra)•Andante sostenuto
- Sibelius•Lemminkäinen Suite op. 22•2. The Swan of Tuonela – Andante molto sostenuto
- Grieg•Songs op. 25•2. En Svane (A Swan)
- Saint-Saëns•Le carnaval des animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) R 125 (Version for 2 Pianos and Chamber Ensemble)•13. Le Cygne (The Swan)
- Rautavaara•Cantus articus op. 61 “Concerto for Birds and Orchestra”•III. Joutsenet muuttava (Swans Migrating)
- Beethoven•Symphony No. 6 in F major op. 68 “Pastoral”•II. Szene am Bach. Andante molto mosso
- Schubert•Schwanengesang D 957•14. Die Taubenpost (D 965a)
- Strauss II (Jr.)•Die Tauben von San Marco, Polka française for Orchestra op. 414•
- Rameau•Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin: Suite in G major RCT 6•4. La poule
- Haydn•Symphony No. 83 in G minor Hob. I:83 "La Poule" (The Hen)•I. Allegro
- Messiaen•Catalogue d'oiseaux (1956-1958)•5. La Chouette hulotte (The Tawny Owl)
- Anonymous (Christmas)•El cant dels ocells (Arr. P. Casals for Violoncello and Orchestra)•
- Vanschothorst•The Caged Owl•I. The Caged Owl
- Puccini•La rondine•Act I • 14. "Forse, come la rondine" (Magda)
- Brahms•Liebeslieder Waltzes op. 52•6. Ein kleiner, hübscher Vogel nahm den Flug
- Fung•Birdsong for Violin and Piano (2012)•
- Alomía Robles•El condor pasa (Arr. for Guitar)•I. El condor pasa
- Anonymous (Traditional)•Le chant des oiseaux (instrumental arrangements)•I. Le chant des oiseaux
- Stanford•Eight Part-Songs op. 119•3. The Blue Bird
- Anonymous•I Would I Were a Bird•
- Haydn•String Quartet in C major op. 33/3 Hob. III:39 “The Bird”•I. Allegro moderato
- Dutilleux•Blackbird (1950)•
- Messiaen•Le Merle noir (The Blackbird) for Flute and Piano (1951)•Le Merle noir
- Holmboe•Prelude No. 6 'To the Seagulls and the Cormorants' op. 174 M. 337 (1987)•
- Cairos-Rego•Albatross (1933)•
- Tamulionis•Sarkela varnela (Little Magpie, Little Crow)•I. Sarkela varnela (Little Magpie, Little Crow)