I've always hated birds, kind of. Because the most prominent are the .... refrain from comparing one of god's creatures to a shrieking harpy or merman ... crows that are constantly shrieking and crapping all over the place.
(btw Vergil's description of harpies is probably the most horrifying thing I've ever read -- I was struggling with the Latin text a few years ago and it really has a way of making you concentrate on every last detail. not that i recall now, I'd have to look it up, but I'd look into it, if you're a horror fan).
Oh yeah, so independently I've been enjoying these little songbirds out my window...never noticed this one before, but nice little melody. Kind of an ostinato, or maybe a refrain...I can't remember the right terminology.
So you know just walking over to the kitchen to make some coffee you just plink out the melody on the piano.
They have an odd microtonal thing going on. And the melody is certainly atonal.
I've been a student of Messiaen for years now, and despite his indications in the scores of which birds are supposed to be what part, I never realized how (apparently) possibly naturalistic his mimetic art was.
Also, "Craney Crow" was a good song but I still hate crows.
Also, the song of this particular bird is rhythmically absolutely sound. The pulse is there, and the rhythmic displacement is almost invariable. At least to my ear, without studying it.
I always thought Didimus the percussion player was just smacked out when he talked about "I just listen to the birds, man" or whatever.
No, there's a lot of music there.
And Messiaen's Turangalila or however it's spelled Symphony, with the incorporation of extra-natural (yeah I know but you know what I mean) sounds is perfect, when you really listen to what's going on.
And no I'm not on drugs.
