Fish swim, butterflies float, snakes slither, bees sting, and worms crawl in a most unusual program. Immersed in nature are Kathleen Battle, Gérard Souzay, Christa Ludwig, John McCormack, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Felicity Lott, and more.
Things that Crawl, Swim, and Fly
Playlist
“Where the Bee Sucks” by Thomas Arne
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano; Gerald Moore, piano
(London 1947. EMI CDM 7 63654)
“Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nickolai Rimsky‐Korsakov
Ofra Harnoy, cello; Catherine Wilson, piano
(1986. RCA VICTOR 60697‐2‐RC)
“Les Trois Oiseaux” by Léo Delibes
Felicity Lott, soprano; Ann Murray, mezzo-soprano; Graham Johnson, piano
(London 1991. EMI CDC 754411 2)
“Les Papillons” by Ernest Chausson
Gérard Souzay, baritone; Jacqueline Bonneau, piano
(London 1955. TESTAMENT SBT 1312)
“Die Forelle” by Franz Schubert
Christa Ludwig, mezzo-soprano; Geoffrey Parsons, piano
(London 1961. EMI 7243 5 62897 2 7)
“Song to the Seals” from Songs of the Western Isles by Granville Bantock
John McCormack, tenor; Edwin Schneider, piano
(London 1935. NIMBUS NI 7854)
“Come, Now a Roundel and a Fairy Song” and “Ye Spotted Snakes with Double Tongue”
from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Felix Mendelssohn
Dame Judi Dench, narrator; Kathleen Battle, soprano; Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano;
Tanglewood Festival Chorus; Boston Symphony Orchestra; Seiji Ozawa, conductor
(Boston 1992. DGG 439 897‐2)
“Glühwürmchen” from Lysistrata by Paul Lincke
Erika Koth, soprano; Ursula Reichart, soprano; Gisela Litz, con tralto
Chorus of the Bavarian; Graunke Symphony Orchestra; Willy Mattes, conductor
(Berlin 1966. EMI 50999 4 16670 2 6)
“Four Magpies, The Carp and Firefly” by Vincent Persichetti
Lee Velta, baritone; Joshua Pierce, piano
(New York 2015. MSR CLASSICS M5 1558)
