Zelle 32
Animals and music in the history of culture
Description
Ascribing human character traits to animals has been a feature of all cultures in all periods. Musician-animals are a good example of this anthropomorphism. Such transfers can either upgrade or downgrade human-animal relationships. Imagining animals as musicians, for example, might express our admiration for them or signify our sense of our cultural superiority. We also use animals to find our way in the world. There are countless books and nursery rhymes in which animals with human characteristics play the part of the tutor or schoolmaster. In fables they represent specific moral positions, while in orchestras they play the instruments considered most suitable for the animal.
Selection
1: «Alle meine Entchen …» Nursery rhymes and nature studies
2: Animal toys at the opera
3: Frog clicker
4: Squeaky cat
5: Clockwork animals
6: On stage. Animals as entertainment
7: Ilp der weltbekannte Elefant
8: Elephant automaton
9: Zirkus Nock
10: Shadow puppet
11: Bears that seem to dance for our pleasure ...
12: Image sheet
13: Bear handler with dancing bear
14: Animal orchestra
15: When the fox skins the hunter … … and the bear plays the funeral march
16: South-American toad band
17: Art print
18: Puzzle
19: Monkey business
20: Clockwork monkey
21: Music automaton
22: Three dancing monkeys
23: Musical monkeys in Ancient Egypt
24: Music automaton
25: Magic lantern
26: Bass horn
27: Serpent
28: The serpent, bass horn, and swan tell their stories …
29: Swan song
30: Swan’s wing
31: Cat piano, donkey organ and piganino …
32: Un piano de chats
33: Orgue-Viennet
34: La Piganino