FAMILY Turdidx. 



In structure it closely resembles that tempestuous and 

 wild movement that opens the finale of Beethoven's 

 Moonlight Sonata: 



Pnsfo *--'''" <* - -* -^ 



Constructively thtyfermiti music resembles this;but the bird 

 re versff the order of dynamics. 



But Beethoven emphasizes the tonic at the close of the 

 run; the Hermit does so in the beginning; both bits of 

 music progress in presto time, and both rush onward to 

 a high climax. The Thrush moreover is a transcended 

 talist, he climbs higher than his voice will carry, and 

 like many another aspiring songster, makes a ludicrous 

 failure of the highest notes. After one or two bad 

 breaks, which apparently threaten the woodland sym- 

 phony with the ignominy of disaster, the Hermit who 

 sings the prima donna's part in the score seems to say 

 to himself, after a short pause, "See here, my fine fel- 

 low, this will never do, that portamento was out of 

 place, and the high note sounded like the whetting of a 

 scythe ! Try a lower key and silence that ' Swainson ' 

 over yonder mouthing his zigzag notes as though he 

 were trying to make them creep upstairs! Shucks! 

 Show him how to soar!" And the bird is at it again 

 entirely oblivious of the fact that he steadily climbs in 

 keys until he goes to pieces again somewhere around G 

 sharp, whole octaves higher than the limit of the piano! 

 Such is the character of the singer and hid song. But 

 what a consummate tone artist he is I Not content with 

 a single key, he deliberately chooses several in major and 

 minor relationship, and elaborates these with perfectly 

 charming arpeggios and wonderful ventriloquous triads, 

 executed with all the technical skill of a master singer. 

 And what a wealth of melody there is in his varied themes! 

 Note the suggestive motives of the following record ; 



