The cooing of pigeons, a symbol of peace and warmth, reveals various rhythmic patterns upon close listening. Did you know that pigeons fly surprisingly fast and are also very amorous birds? This piece depicts the story of such pigeons, eagerly seeking mates, gathering in Plaça de Catalunya in Spain, joyfully singing in chorus, until their natural enemy, the crow, interferes. The cooing of pigeons and their unpredictable head movements are expressed through unique rhythms, dissonances, modulations to distant keys, and changing meters. We hope you will imagine the story and perform it with vibrant expression.

Composition of the Piece

[A]  – [B]  – [A’]  in ternary form.

About the Key

• [A] E-flat major → A-flat major
• [B] G major → F minor
• [A’] E-flat major

Performance Points

[A]

In measures 1-6, the left-hand chords represent the cooing of pigeons, and the occasional tremolos in the right hand depict the pigeons purring. Perform these comically.

[B]

From measures 15-19, the meter changes rapidly: 7/8 → 6/8 → 5/8 → 6/8 (hemiola) → 3/4. Maintain a strong sense of meter and play rhythmically. Furthermore, this section is written in the Spanish scale (G-A♭-B♭-B♮-C-D-E♭-F). Play it vividly and passionately, as if male pigeons are successively appealing to females in Plaça de Catalunya. In measure 20, the upbeat of beat 3 should be stopped crisply. Measure 21 consists entirely of rests, but maintain the tension from the preceding measure 20. Measures 22-31 serve as a transition to [A’] and are written in the Dorian mode (F-G-A♭-B♭-C-D-E♭). Play this section freely, like a cadenza in a concerto. (Where the music moves in parallel 6ths, make it resonate beautifully, as if a pair of pigeons are snuggling at dusk.)

[A’]

Measures 32-42 depict the pigeons gathering in the square and joyfully singing in a grand chorus. In measure 43, on beat 1, they are suddenly attacked by a crow, but from beat 2 of the same measure, they unite to fight back, successfully driving away the crow and reaching the conclusion. [A’] also features changing meters and frequent tension chords, so maintain tension until the very end. Stop the final chord firmly, creating a crisp and dynamic ending.