La adoración de los pájaros / The adoration of the birds

Two Christmas Carols for Choir and Strings

Commentary
Texts and recordings
Download scores

Commentary

It is a diptych of Christmas carols in which the birds are the protagonists of the act of adoring the newborn Child Jesus, made up of the following two numbers from previous works: "Aria II" from Musica ex lingua (1989), based on the poem "Sobre el sol e a lúa" by Ramón Mª del Valle-Inclán; and "El cant dels ocells" from Three Christmas Carols (2006). Although the latter was transferred here in its entirety, the former had to be re-instrumented to adapt it to the exclusively string orchestra used on this occasion.
Both numbers adapted for this diptych in 2007, The Adoration of the Birds was premiered at the Madrid National Music Auditorium on December 19, 2016, within a Christmas concert offered by the Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid conducted by Víctor Pablo Pérez.

Texts and recordings

I. Sobre o sol e a lúa (from Aromas de leyendas, by Ramón Mª del Valle-Inclán)

Sobre o sol e a lúa
voa un paxariño
que leva unha rosa
pra Xesús meniño.
Paxariño louro,
gaiteiriño lindo,
cántame no peito
que o tengo ferido.
Cántame no peito,
gaiteiriño lindo,
que con Xesús falas
no teu asobío.
Pola mañán cedo,
lindo ruiseñol,
hai na tua cantiga
orballo de frol.
Orballiño fresco
nas pallas do día,
orballiño, gracia
da Virxe María.

Over the sun and the moon
a little bird flies
who wears a rose
for little Jesus.
Blond bird,
cute bagpiper,
sing to my chest
that I have him hurt.
Sing to my chest
cute bagpiper,
that with Jesus you speak
in your peep-peep.
Early in the morning,
cute nightingale,
there is in your song
flower dew.
Fresh dew
in the herbs of the day,
dew, it's grace
of the Virgin Mary.

Ramón María del Valle-Inclán (1866-1936)

Recording: Original version of the Aria II from Musica ex lingua (Community of Madrid Choir and Orchestra. Cond.: Miguel Groba) (1990)

First page of Sobre o sol e a lúa

II. El cant dels ocells (The song of the birds). Catalan popular song

En veure despuntar
el major lluminar
en la nit més ditxosa,
els ocellets cantant
a festejar-lo van
amb sa veu melindrosa.

L'ocell, rei de l'espai,
va pels aires volant
cantant amb melodía,
dient: Jesús es nat
per treure'ns del pecat
i dar-nos alegria.

Seeing the dawn
the greatest glow
in the happiest night,
the little birds
are going to sing to him
with their melodious voice.

The bird, king of space,
flies through the air
singing with melody,
saying: Jesus is born
to free us from sin
and give us joy.

Video (TVE): RTVE Choir and Symphony Orchestra. Cond: Carlos Kalmar (Cello: Javier Albarés)

Interpretation of the Three Christmas Carols in the Christmas concert of the ORTVE. Madrid, Monumental Theater, December 20, 2012.

II. El cant dels ocells

First page of El cant dels ocells

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(Scores and parts withput watermarks available at www.asesores-musicales.com )

General score of the version for choir and strings of La adoración de los pájaros

Score of choir and piano reduction of La adoración de los pájaros