Basing songs on themes of nature was a vogue in the 19th century, as exemplified famously by certain of Schubert’s cycles and Grieg’s fjord songs. More recently, Aaron Copland set poems by Emily Dickinson, and Virgil Thomson some by Robert Frost. Love of Nature’s beauty and Her creatures was seldom far removed from human love. Now five creative people deeply inspired by birds have collaborated to present a rara avis: a glowing cross-discipline entertainment of poetry, song, and natural history that affords the birds a bully pulpit of representation without excessive anthropomorphizing. Babson professor Mary Pinard’s keenly-observed bird poems sparked Boston-based composer Andrew List to write twelve avian portraits, sung by mezzo-soprano Krista River in collaboration with pianist George Lopez yesterday night at the Glavin Family Chapel. Wayne Petersen, Mass Audubon ornithologist, gave a stirring companion slideshow on the mystery of migration.
Read the full review on the Boston Music Intelligencer website…