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Mozart's starling / Lyanda Lynn Haupt

by Haupt, Lyanda Lynn.

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Little, Brown and Company, 2017

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791.

Composers -- Austria -- Biography

Human-animal relationships.

9780316370899 (hc.)

x, 277 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-276)

Prelude: A plague of inspiration -- One: The starling of Seattle -- Two: Mozart and the musical thief -- Three: Uninvited guests -- Four: What the starling said -- Five: The starling of Vienna -- Six: How the starling knew -- Seven: Chomsky's starling -- Interlude: The heart of time for birds and Mozart -- Eight: Birds of a feather -- Nine: Mozart's ear and the music of the spheres -- Finale: Three funerals and a flight of fancy -- Coda

On May 27th, 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met a flirtatious little starling in a Viennese shop who sang an improvised version of the theme from his Piano Concerto no. 17 in G major. Sensing a kindred spirit in the plucky young bird, Mozart bought him and took him home to be a family pet. For three years, the starling lived with Mozart, influencing his work and serving as his companion, distraction, consolation, and muse. Two centuries later, starlings are reviled by even the most compassionate conservationists. A nonnative, invasive species, they invade sensitive habitats, outcompete local birds for nest sites and food, and decimate crops. A seasoned birder and naturalist, Lyanda Lynn Haupt is well versed in the difficult and often strained relationships these birds have with other species and the environment. But after rescuing a baby starling of her own, Haupt found herself enchanted by the same intelligence and playful spirit that had so charmed her favorite composer. Haupt explores the unlikely and remarkable bond between one of history's most cherished composers and one of earth's most common birds. The intertwined stories of Mozart's beloved pet and Haupt's own starling provide an unexpected window into human-animal friendships, music, the secret world of starlings, and the nature of creative inspiration. A blend of natural history, biography, and memoir, this book awakens a surprising new awareness of our place in the world.

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