Music that imitates the sounds of nature has been a part of human experience since at least 12,000 years ago, when hunters carved bone flutes sounding like birds’ songs to draw them to their killing ground, discovering along the way that they also sounded pretty.
The recent history of Western art music, that is, “classical” music, is rich with the efforts of composers to suggest natural sounds. Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) famously captured the sounds of passing seasons in the cycle of violin concertos he called “The Seasons.” The “Summer” concerto alone manages to employ themes uncannily reminiscent of birdsong, a flowing stream, and a raging storm. Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) conjured the racing horse beneath an escaping Willliam Tell in the overture to his opera.
