Why do hummingbirds hum? Because they forgot the words. Animals are a perennial musical inspiration, from Beethoven’s Pastorale to Mahler’s nostalgic cuckoos, from Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals to Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, so birds and beasts are ever-present in Western music, and surely date back to the very origins of language, as the cro-magnans imitated the sounds of animals, and used their bones, skin, and horns to make their first instruments. So what’s the most musical part of a turkey? The drumstick.

Join Guy Livingston for a new episode of American Highways, all about musical animals, great and small. Music of Wendy Mae Chambers, Libby Larsen, George Antheil, and Raymond Scott.

AMERICAN HIGHWAYS #55: MUSICAL ANIMALS (part 2)

Theme Music :

Steve Reich. The Desert Music (1984)

First Movement (Fast).

Chorus of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Michael Tilson Thomas & William Carlos Williams.

Nonesuch Records 79101.

James Scott

Ragtime Oriole

Roger Sheilds, piano

VoxBox CD3X 3027

George Antheil

Serpent mécanique, arranged for piano six hands

Guy Livingston, Stéphane Leach, Philippe Keler: pianists.

Wergo 6762-2

Raymond Scott

Huckleberry Duck

Raymond Scott Ensemble

Columbia 53028

gospel traditional

I Know I’ve Been Changed

Dixie Hummingbirds

Body & Soul BS 2439

“We’re adding More Cowbell”

(Don’t Fear) The Reaper – parody

Blue Oyster Cult; with Will Ferrell, cowbell; Christopher Walken as the producer.

Saturday Night Live, April 8, 2000

Oran Etkin

Little Lamb Jam

Oran Etkin, with Charanee Wade

Putumayo 229-2

George and Ira Gershwin

Little Jazz Bird

Lady Be Good Cast ensemble

Graalgember Records 2012

William Bolcom

A 60-second Ballet (for chickens)

Guy Livingston, piano

Wergo 6649-2

Libby Larson

Black Birds, Red Hills: Pedernal Hills

Libby Larson, piano; Caroline Hartig, clarinet

Innova Recordings/American Composer Forum ACF 002

Wendy Mae Chambers

“12 squared”

1. The Barons (3:44)

2. Dance (5:06)

3. Hoodoo Root Doctor (4:52)

4. Snake Dancer (3:19)

5. Snake of Deep Waters (4:02)

Michael Pugliese, Randy Crafton, Jason Cirker, Charles Kiger, Andy Bowman, Kory Grossman, Mark Belair, Dan McMillan, Frank Cassara, David Cossin, Jimmy Musto, Dominic Donato, percussion; Howard Van Hyning, conductor.

NWR 80526-2

John Coltrane

The Inchworm

John Coltrane

Music Club International Records MCCD 572

 

Animal Music Links:

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