Music Inspired by Chicks Hatching - Mussorgsky and Ravel

Inspired by a talented friend's painting called "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks," Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky wrote a piano piece as part of his famous work Pictures at an Exhibition. The composition was later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel. Have you ever watched a baby bird peck its way out of its shell? The determination to break through is astounding.

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Music Inspired by Chicks Hatching
Ballet des Petits Poussins dans leurs Coques

Written by Nancy Rumbel

This is BirdNote!

Have you ever watched a baby bird peck its way out of its shell? The determination to break through is astounding. Now imagine two famous composers writing and orchestrating a piece that reflects that desire to be born. [Continue with Bronfman performing the piano version]

Inspired by a talented friend’s painting called Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks, Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky wrote a piano piece as part of his famous work “Pictures at an Exhibition.” The composition was later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel. [Pictures at an Exhibition: Ballet des Petits Poussins dans leurs Coques – orchestrated by Maurice Ravel and performed by the Chicago Symphony, conducted by Carlo Maria Guilini]

Listen as instrumental “colors” from the orchestra enhance the pecking rhythms, the scurrying tempos, high pitched peeping sounds, and the baby birds’ eventual freedom. [Continue with Ravel’s version] Isn’t it amazing how music can so beautifully interpret this emergence of life?

You can watch baby birds hatching, on our website, birdnote.org [Go out with Ravel’s version….]

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Musical selection from “Pictures at an Exhibition: Ballet des Petits Poussins dans leurs Coques – Scherzino," performed by Yefim Bronfman with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
BirdNote's theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and produced by John Kessler.
© 2015 Tune In to Nature.org March 2017/2018/2020 Narrator: Michael Stein