The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-18
ANIMAL MUSIC

Not a few animals and birds can sing
in some way or another says the London
Mail Country people who have occupied
rooms near a frog pond and have heard
the vocalization OF these dutch nightin-
gales" know and probably appreciate that
fact. But all animal songs cannot.be set
10 music. and only few composers have
triumphed over the difficulties that beset
any attempts OF the kind. Animals sounds
however, have been scientifically studied.
and German naturalist goes so far as
20 maintain that even the donkey's bray
moves in true musical progression
This Is. however, rather far-fetched
proposition. and true or otherwise. IL
would require good deal OF devotion To
scientific research 10 enable "A man To re-
main for long In the vicinity of a donkey
that had been seized with 1T of bray
ing.
Birds, OF course, produce musical
sounds which can be written out in mu-
sical notation. one OF the best-known
passages i'm Beethoven is the Introduction
OF bird notes-a nightingale, quail and
cuckoo IN the slow movement OF his
Pastoral symphony. Insects also give
out musical sounds. and the Greeks kept
locusts I'm cages as we do birds. There
was a pretty tradition among the Greeks
that when Terpander was playing the
Tyre at one OF the Olympic games so
beautifully that he was sure OF the prize.
one or the strings of the instrument broke
But Just at that moment locust perched
on his Tyre. chirped the right note and
Terpander won the prize.
Whoever has been I'm a menagerie about
an hour after the animals have been fed
knows what a curious concert suddenly
begins at that time There Is the deep,
rumblng bass of the lion. the tenor OF
the tiger, the alto OF the hyens and the
snrll treble of the wildcat. w.,.' trum-
pct obligato by the elephant Some of
these familiar sounds have beeen success
fully initiated In music by composers, who
made patient study OF them first.
Haydn, I'm his eratorio. 1.-THE Creation"
has given his idea OF several animal
sounds I'm music. n has the roar OF the
lion, the neigh OF The horse and the drag
ging rustic Of the serpent and he also
tries to realize musically the buoyant
bound OF the tiger and the leap or Tho
deer. A famous piece OF salon music In |
DE Kontshs day was that panists ef- |
fective "Reveil du Lion" C'The Awaken |
ing OF the Iion'J. IL ends with a tremen- |
,.ous tour de force. which is supposed to
reaii 2 the fully awakened roar OF the |
king OF the beasts A composition which |
IL quite popular among German vocal So
cietics is a quartet for u cat a hen. dog |
and pig, accompanied by monkey at |
the piano. OF course II Is not done by |
real animals The performers wear papier |
macLe heads and dress up in costumes |
which are kept in music stores for the |
purpose. IL we'll done the piece is ire |
sistibly funny.
There are animals sounds which will |
probably never he fully expressed i'm |
music. or such is the call OF the cow |
moose. weirdly echoinE over the moonlit /
waters OF lake deep I'm the Maine or !
Canadian wilderness Such, too. are the |
howls Of a pack OF wolves as they signal |
To one another 10 join in the chase Of |
some unfortunate de& noundering In the |
deep snow: a coyote sending his message |
over the plains nm Invitation 10 his com
rades TO feast on the carrion IL has dis |
covered; a fox Weakening the stiffness of |
the forest summoning it's cunning com |
rades tto a raid--these are some OF the |
rare noises OF the wilderness which may |
be initiated. but cannot be confined within |
the rigid limits OF musical notation.