This week on the Ether Game Weekly Music Quiz Podcast, we're pulling out all the stops for a look at the king of instruments, the organ, in a show we're calling "Pipes and Bellows"! Can you name this organ tune? (The answer is below) Remember to keep your ears out for a portion of Tuesday night's Teaser selection. And don't forget to tune into the full show on Tuesday, July 17th at 8:00pm for a chance to win a prize!
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), Organ Concerto No. 13 in F major, "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale": Allegro
Nancy Sartain, organ; Les Concerts du Monde; Keith Clark, conductor
Birdsongs have been part of music for probably as long as music has been around-they are the most musical creatures, after all. It's thought that the two most popular birds, at least in Western Classical music, are the cuckoo and the nightingale. Both birds are native to Europe, and both have a very distinctive call. The cuckoo is known by its familiar minor third, and the nightingale by its short, repeated flute-like tones. In this Handel organ concerto, it's a two-for-one punch, with both the cuckoo and nightingale being imitated in succession. Handel's skill at the organ was known all throughout Europe, and people would flock to see him perform. He would often premiere his organ concertos during the premiere of one of his oratorios, just to get people in the door for the oratorio. In this case, the "Cuckoo And The Nightingale" premiered at the same event as his oratorio Israel In Egypt.
