We humans have long been charmed and fascinated by the sight and sound of birds, so it’s not surprising that so many composers have tried to capture those qualities in music. What is surprising, perhaps, is the great variety of approaches they have taken—almost as many as we find in the birds themselves.

In this hour, our first program of avian-inspired music, from medieval songs to works by Dvorak, Prokofiev, Mozart, Vaughan Williams, and many others.