Mozart's StarlingOn May 27th, 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met a flirtatious little starling in a Viennese shop who sang an improvised version of the theme from his Piano Concerto no. 17 in G major. Sensing a kindred spirit in the plucky young bird, Mozart bought him and took him home to be a family pet. For three years, the starling lived with Mozart, influencing his work and serving as his companion, distraction, consolation, and muse. Two centuries later, starlings are reviled by even the most compassionate conservationists. A nonnative, invasive species, they invade sensitive habitats, outcompete local birds for nest sites and food, and decimate crops. A seasoned birder and naturalist, Lyanda Lynn Haupt is well versed in the difficult and often strained relationships these birds have with other species and the environment. But after rescuing a baby starling of her own, Haupt found herself enchanted by the same intelligence and playful spirit that had so charmed her favorite composer. In Mozart's Starling, Haupt explores the unlikely and remarkable bond between one of history's most cherished composers and one of earth's most common birds. The intertwined stories of Mozart's beloved pet and Haupt's own starling provide an unexpected window into human-animal friendships, music, the secret world of starlings, and the nature of creative inspiration. A blend of natural history, biography, and memoir, Mozart's Starling is a tour de force that awakens a surprising new awareness of our place in the world. |
What people are saying - Write a review
User ratings
| 5 stars |
| ||
| 4 stars |
| ||
| 3 stars |
| ||
| 2 stars |
| ||
| 1 star |
|
LibraryThing Review
User Review - nmele - LibraryThingLike "Crow Planet", the other book by Haupt that I have read is full of interesting facts and her own observations of starlings and of one particular starling, not Mozart's but the one she raises as ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - dele2451 - LibraryThingAn excellent history of how one of the wildlife species most reviled by humans became the beloved muse of one of humanity's all-time favorite composers and musicians. I am an avid birder of many years ... Read full review
Contents
ONE The Starling of Seattle | |
TWO Mozart and the Musical Thief | |
THREE Uninvited Guest Unexpected Wonder | |
FOUR What the Starling Said | |
FIVE The Starling of Vienna | |
SIX How the Starling Knew | |
SEVEN Chomskys Starling | |
INTERLUDE The Heart of Time for Birds and Mozart | |
NINE Mozarts Ear and the Music of the Spheres | |
FINALE Three Funerals and a Flight of Fancy | |
Acknowledgments | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
actually animals apartment appears aviary baby beautiful become believe birds birdsong body cage called Carmen chick close common completed composer concerto Constanze create death eyes fact feathers feel female give hands head hear heard household human hundred imagination inspired keep kind language learned least Leopold letter linguistic listening live look male mimicry mind motif movement Mozart nature nest never notes once park patterns performance perhaps person phrases piano play possible raised record season seems sense share shoulder simply singing social sometimes song sounds species Star starling story suggest surely tell things tiny tree true tune turn unique University usual vocal voice walk whistle wild window Wolfgang wonderful writing wrote York young
Bibliographic information
| Title | Mozart's Starling |
| Author | Lyanda Lynn Haupt |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Little, Brown, 2017 |
| ISBN | 0316370878, 9780316370875 |
| Length | 288 pages |
| Subjects | › › › Biography & Autobiography / Music Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs Music / Genres & Styles / Classical Nature / Animals / Birds Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / Ornithology |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |