Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra (conductor unknown).
I - Pito real: 0:00
II - Autillo: 4:49
III - Ruiseñor: 8:13
Humet's "Bird Scenes" (Escenas de Pájaros) was composed between 2004-6, being awarded two prizes; the XXIV Queen Sofia International Composition Prize in 2006, and the OSM International Composition Prize in 2007. It was premiered on October 1 of 2007 at the Tháâtre de Maisonneuve in Montreal, Canada, performed by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal conducted by Jean-François Rivet. In Europe, it was first performed on October 18 of that year at the Monumental Theatre in Madrid, Spain, with the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adrian Leaper. The score is dedicated to the composer's fathers.
Humet stated the following about the piece: "This work is an orchestral resynthesis of birdsongs analysed using computer technology. The birdsongs are frequently constructed from mechanical rhythms and short melodies. At the same time, the reverberation of the forest creates a significant background contrast in the overall sound. Thus, this work has two layers: the birdsongs and the forest. Other physical phenomena I explored in the composition are the Doppler effect, noticeable when the bird sings while flying, and the resonant filters that can also be heard when the wind blows through the forest. The orchestra is treated with an intensive use of timbral resources, as well as an approach to instrumental combinations that borders on what could be called post-spectralism."
The first movement refers to the European green woodpecker (Picus viridis), known for its loud singing. It opens with a lightly scored introduction that already introduces the main ideas and recurring motives, most notably the bird-song figures on woodwinds, with sudden percussive outbursts being interjected. A static transition leads to an angular and rhythmic central section, leading to a brief and tumultuous climax. A kind of synthesis of the two previous sections then takes place, combining the birdsongs with the angular rhythms. The movement ends with an evocative coda.
The second movement is the common name for several birds of the Strigidae family, of the order Strigiformes or nocturnal birds of prey. It opens with rhythmic figures on woodwinds and percussion over strings. A brief peak leads to a slower section dominated by percussion and brass, woodwinds later intoning the birdsongs. The music reaches the work's loudest climax, before the movement goes through a diminuendo and dissolves in the silence.
The third movement refers to the common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), whose singing is often described as one of the most beautiful sounds in nature. It begins straight-away with woodwinds presenting the birdsong figures, which engage in a contrapuntal central passage. A series of call and responses then take place between the wood and brass. After a brief finaloutburst, these gradually die down as the piece concludes.
Picture: "Birds" (1914) by German painter Franz Marc.
Musical analysis written by myself.
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra (conductor unknown).
I - Pito real: 0:00
II - Autillo: 4:49
III - Ruiseñor: 8:13
Humet's "Bird Scenes" (Escenas de Pájaros) was composed between 2004-6, being awarded two prizes; the XXIV Queen Sofia International Composition Prize in 2006, and the OSM International Composition Prize in 2007. It was premiered on October 1 of 2007 at the Tháâtre de Maisonneuve in Montreal, Canada, performed by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal conducted by Jean-François Rivet. In Europe, it was first performed on October 18 of that year at the Monumental Theatre in Madrid, Spain, with the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adrian Leaper. The score is dedicated to the composer's fathers.
Humet stated the following about the piece: "This work is an orchestral resynthesis of birdsongs analysed using computer technology. The birdsongs are frequently constructed from mechanical rhythms and short melodies. At the same time, the reverberation of the forest creates a significant background contrast in the overall sound. Thus, this work has two layers: the birdsongs and the forest. Other physical phenomena I explored in the composition are the Doppler effect, noticeable when the bird sings while flying, and the resonant filters that can also be heard when the wind blows through the forest. The orchestra is treated with an intensive use of timbral resources, as well as an approach to instrumental combinations that borders on what could be called post-spectralism."
The first movement refers to the European green woodpecker (Picus viridis), known for its loud singing. It opens with a lightly scored introduction that already introduces the main ideas and recurring motives, most notably the bird-song figures on woodwinds, with sudden percussive outbursts being interjected. A static transition leads to an angular and rhythmic central section, leading to a brief and tumultuous climax. A kind of synthesis of the two previous sections then takes place, combining the birdsongs with the angular rhythms. The movement ends with an evocative coda.
The second movement is the common name for several birds of the Strigidae family, of the order Strigiformes or nocturnal birds of prey. It opens with rhythmic figures on woodwinds and percussion over strings. A brief peak leads to a slower section dominated by percussion and brass, woodwinds later intoning the birdsongs. The music reaches the work's loudest climax, before the movement goes through a diminuendo and dissolves in the silence.
The third movement refers to the common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), whose singing is often described as one of the most beautiful sounds in nature. It begins straight-away with woodwinds presenting the birdsong figures, which engage in a contrapuntal central passage. A series of call and responses then take place between the wood and brass. After a brief finaloutburst, these gradually die down as the piece concludes.
Picture: "Birds" (1914) by German painter Franz Marc.
Musical analysis written by myself.
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
