Lincoln Center Festival: The Cleveland Orchestra Plays Messiaen and Dvorák

Messiaen's Birdsong-Inspired Compositions and Dvorák's Pastoral Symphony

Not many composers have the word "ornithologist" in their biography, but not many composers were as fascinated by the songs of birds as Messiaen was. The Frenchman became obsessed with birds during the 1960s, and it was during that time he wrote his famous "Chronochromie", whose sixth movement features 18 stringed instruments, each playing a different birdsong. You can hear the piece's full kaleidoscope of tones when the Cleveland Orchestra performs at Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center. Messiaen's "Hymne" is also on the bill, as well as Dvorák's Symphony No. 5. With a pastoral style, the Czech composer's fifth symphony is considered a return to his Bohemian roots.