Haupz Blog

Music and Nature

Music time, and nature time. I’ll give a bit of a brain dump of music (of the classical variety) that describes nature. I’m curious to hear more suggestions (also for alternative interpretations to the ones I’m pointing to) to keep the list growing. Here goes, in roughly chronological order.

We’ve all come across Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”. They’re a collection of four violin concertos describing in baroque terms the characteristics of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Eccole.

Joseph Haydn, prolific grand master of symphonies (and wit), is represented with two pieces here. First, his “Sunrise” string quartet, which ever so slightly hints at its title in the first bars of the opening movement. Second, his late masterpiece “The Creation”, which narrates the early days of the world as described in the Bible. The opening, beginning with nothingness and developing unto the “fiat lux” moment are stunning. Hear for yourselves - even if only the first 8 minutes.

Ludwig van Beethoven, in his 6th symphony, famously depicted a thunderstorm (whole thing, just the weather).

Rivers have something about them that makes them interesting for composers. Bedřich Smetana’s immortal “Vltava” - here convincingly delivered by a young orchestra - is perhaps the most popular example. Don’t forget Kurt Atterberg and his symphonic poem “Älven” though.

But how about mountains, you ask? Rightfully so. Here we go. The opening of Gustav Mahler’s 3rd symphony is meant to describe, in music, the Höllengebirge in Austria. (Mahler composed the symphony in a hut on the lakeshore at the feet of that mountain range.) And let’s not forget Richard Strauss, whose “Alpensinfonie”, in an audibly compelling way, describes an entire day in the alps, from night and sunrise to sunset and night, including a hike to a summit.

Austrian composer Siegmund von Hausegger wrote an entire large-scale work entitled “Nature Symphony”. It’s quite majestic, and full of slowly unfolding beauty.

I’ll close with two symphonies by English 20th century composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. His first, “A Sea Symphony”, set for large orchestra and chorus, makes rather clear what it’s about with the opening call to “behold the sea!” It’s a grandiose description of oceans, ships, shores, and seafarers. Vaughan Williams' seventh symphony, “Sinfonia antartica” takes us to the far south and its vast, majestic, cold landscapes.

Anything else?

Tags: music