Four Great classical pieces inspired by animals
Catalogue of the Birds by Oliver Messiaen
Messiaen transcribed 13 birdsongs to piano pieces. Each piece is written for a French province with a title of bird chosen for each region. Messiaen uses the "colour of tones" at its most powerful, where different sounds interconnect and lay the birdsong among the nature most beautifully.
The Cat and the Mouse by Aaron Copland
We can hear so vividly different plots and the tune is easily accessible to all listeners. Copland uses the pace and rhythm successfully, which creates the animation in the music. Lots of loud and dissonant (刺耳的) chord is fully applied in the entire piece, giving the" storytelling" nature to the music.
The Maid and the Nightingale by Enrique Granados
In the music, the maid sings a mournful song to the nightingale as her lover has gone to fight another guy out of jealousy, and eventually dies. After her mournful "song" ends, the last part of the piece is pure bird sound. Granados mainly uses quick and light single notes to paint the melodies of birdsongs.
Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Sans
The Carnival of the Animals is the most famous work from Saint-Sans. Interestingly, he forbade the work to be published during his lifetime as he felt it did not represent him properly. The different musical techniques and the fast and light rhythm of the full suite truly make this set of works the most typical music for animals.
