On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
Encyclopedia
On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring is a tone poem composed in 1912 by Frederick Delius
; it was first performed in Leipzig
on October 2, 1913.
The work opens with a slow three-bar sequence; its first theme is an exchange of cuckoo
calls, first for oboe
, then for divided strings. The second theme of the piece is scored for first violin
s, and is taken from a Norwegian
folk song, "In Ola Valley", which was brought to his attention by the Australian composer and folk-song arranger Percy Grainger
. (The theme was also quoted by Edvard Grieg
in his 19 Norwegian Folksongs, Op. 66.) The clarinet
returns with the cuckoo calls before the piece ends in pastoral
fashion.
The Times
The "First Cuckoo" is a somewhat light-hearted competition in The Times
' letters pages, where correspondents claim to have heard the first cuckoo in spring. The Times also have published several books of notable letters of the twentieth century, entitled "The First Cuckoo".
Frederick Delius
Frederick Theodore Albert Delius, CH was an English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family of German extraction, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce...
; it was first performed in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
on October 2, 1913.
The work opens with a slow three-bar sequence; its first theme is an exchange of cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
calls, first for oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
, then for divided strings. The second theme of the piece is scored for first violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, and is taken from a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
folk song, "In Ola Valley", which was brought to his attention by the Australian composer and folk-song arranger Percy Grainger
Percy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
. (The theme was also quoted by Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
in his 19 Norwegian Folksongs, Op. 66.) The clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
returns with the cuckoo calls before the piece ends in pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
fashion.
The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
The "First Cuckoo" is a somewhat light-hearted competition in The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
' letters pages, where correspondents claim to have heard the first cuckoo in spring. The Times also have published several books of notable letters of the twentieth century, entitled "The First Cuckoo".