Classical music for children: the birds (II)

After having seen how birds play a lot in classical compositions, we continue with this journey that brings us closer to another classical music for children that stars birds.

In it we can become together with the children in birds that cross the skies and imagine different landscapes, happier or quieter, and listen to their songs to the sound of music.

Vivaldi and the birds

"Il gardellino". From among the catalog of concerts for wind instruments of Antonio Vivaldi, we look at this time in the collection of six concert for flute included in Opus 10, more specifically in No. 3, which bears the subtitle of Il Gardellino ("The Goldfinch").

We can not fail to mention Vivaldi and his "Spring", from which we brought you a nice animated video for children. In some fragments we seem to hear

The Pastoral of Beethoven (symphony number 6)

Symphony No. 6 in F major, Opus 68 "Pastoral" (1808) was subtitled by Ludwig van Beethoven as "Memories of country life". Towards the end of the second movement, Szene am Bach ("Scene by the stream", Andante molto mosso), the flute, the oboe and the clarinet harmoniously combine in the imitation of the songs of the nightingale, the quail and the cuclillo (measures 129 to 136 of the Andante molto mosso).

The composer himself warns that these descriptions should not be taken too literally, he classifies them as an expression of feeling, rather than description.

In 1940, Walt Disney incorporated this symphony in his famous animated film "Fantasy". For many critics, the incorporation of images and mythological characters (winged cupids, pegasus, unicorns, fauns ...) was simply ridiculous. But perhaps this anecdotal fact further increased the fame of the work.

"The Seasons" of Haydn

In the oratory "Las Estaciones", released in 1802, Franz Joseph Haydn painted the love for Nature, peasants dancing, a storm, birds singing ...

Respighi and the birds

The late 19th-century Italian composer Ottorino Respighi included several birds in his work entitled "The birds" ("Gli ucelli"). It is a 1927 play that was first performed in the United States in 1928. It is the third in a series of ancient dances and arias.

"La Paloma" is a piece originally created by Jacques de Gallot, a laudist and composer who disappeared in 1685. "La Gallina" is inspired by one of the most popular code pages written by the great French composer Jean Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) . "El Cucú" is based on another work by Pasquini. In movement IV, L'uusignuolo, "The Nightingale" (based on an anonymous 17th-century composition), we hear one of these birds.

The carnival of the animals

When we did our first review of classical music related to animals, we could not miss the famous "Carnival of animals" ("Le carnival des animaux") of the French romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The lion, the turtles, the elephant, the kangaroos ... and also hens and roosters, for clarinet, 2 pianos, 2 violins and viola.

This piece starts with a chicken (one of the pianos). Immediately afterwards another chicken enters (now it is the first violin, which does the same as the piano). Then another chicken enters (this time it is the second violin). Then, a rooster (piano) arrives, which silences the chickens and imposes order. Later, the instrument that imitates the rooster will be the clarinet.

"Le cygne", "The swan", is one of the quietest parts of the work. In the fragment we can hear two pianos and a cello that interpret the serene and natural ride of a swan in its natural habitat.

The cuckoo or cuckoo in the deep forest or at the bottom of the forest, for clarinet and two pianos. Here the pianos make a mysterious background (the forest), while the clarinet imitates the singing of the cuckoo. As a curiosity, the composer asked the clarinetist to hide behind the scenes, so we wouldn't see him at a concert.

In "Voliére" ("Birdhouse" or "Aleteos"), for flute, two pianos, two violins, viola, cello and double bass. Here, on a background made by the strings, the two pianos with their melodious ornaments accompany the flute who virtuously represents the free flight of the birds.

We hope this review of classical music for children Let the whole family fly has been to your liking, and enjoy imagining the different scenes with your children.

Video: Classical Music for Brain Power - Mozart (March 2024).