As many of us go out for long walks in the parks and woods, we relax, unwind, and appreciate nature. We stroll by chipmunks, deer, and squirrels scurrying around and marvel at the acrobatics of the birds flying above.
Throughout history, classical composers have derived great pleasure and inspiration from the natural world, especially from the songs of birds. We can all imagine Ludwig van Beethoven madly gesticulating and wandering through the countryside while simultaneously hearing and humming the themes and rhythmic patterns from his symphonies. He successfully imitated nightingale, cuckoo, and quail calls in his Symphony #6, the "Pastoral Symphony." One may hear a nightingale's tones and trills in the finale of Gustav Mahler's Symphony #2. Richard Wagner's "Forest Murmurs" from his opera Siegfried reminds us of birds in their natural environment. Ottorino Respighi successfully used previously recorded nightingale sounds in his orchestral work Pines of Rome. The twentieth century French composer Olivier Messiaen had an extraordinary interest in birdsong which is evident in his work Oiseaux Exotique.
Please feel free to suggest your favorite pieces of music which pay homage to birdsongs.