Orchestral Music Depicting Nature

Beethoven "Pastoral Symphony" in F major, Op.68.

1.Joyous sensations roused by arrival in the country. Allegro ma non troppo.

2.Scene by the brook. Andante molto mosso.

3.Merry gathering of peasants. Allegro.

4.Thunderstorm. Allegro

5.The shepherds' singing glad and grateful feelings after the storm. Allegretto.

Strauss "An Alpine Symphony" Op.64.

1.Night

2.Sunrise

3.The Ascent

4.Entering the forest

5.Wandering by the brook

6.By the waterfall

7.Apparition

8.Flowery meadows

9.In the mountain pasture

10.On the wrong track through thickets & undergrowth

11.On the glacier

12.Precarious moments

13.On the summit

14.Vision

15.Rising mists

16.The sun gradually dims

17.Elegy

18.Calm before the storm

19.Thunderstorm. Descent

20.Sunset

21.Epilogue

22.Night

Ralph Vaughn Williams "Sinfonia Antartica"

Though this composer's Third Symphony was called "Pastoral", it was based on his first world war experiences in France & could be called his "War Requiem". It was unique in that all four movements were slow.

However, his seventh, called "Sinfonia Antartica" depicted nature at the South Pole. It had female chorus, solo soprano, piano & organ.

1. Prelude Andante Maestoso. Prefaced by Shelley's Prometheus Unbound.

2.⁠ ⁠Scherzo Moderato. Psalm 104, dealing with deep sea & whales.

3.⁠ ⁠Landscape Lento S.T.Coleridge hymns.

4.⁠ ⁠Intermezzo Andante Sostenuto Quote from John Donne.

5.⁠ ⁠Epilogue Alla Marcia Moderato Prefaced by tragic final entry from Cap.Scott's diary.

Imelda Lambertini, the Italian "Koluru Kodagusu"

Imelda, on her fifth birthday, requested to receive the Eucharist, which, however was given to only persons over 14. At 9, she went to live with the nuns. Two years later, she was praying in church, when the sacristan noticed a light above her head. He fetched the priest, who seeing it, immediately gave her the Eucharist. She continued kneeling & praying. After sometime, a nun came to fetch her & found her smiling but immobile. On touching her, she collapsed, dead at 11.

In the Veerashiva tradition of Karnataka, there is legend of Koluru Kodagusu, a young girl. Her parents did ritual worship of Shiva (in the form of a linga). Once they deputed Kodagusu to take the ritual offering. She took it & assumed Shiva would consume it. When He didn't, she broke down & cried piteously. Shiva, moved, came down in human form & consumed it. When she reported it, her parents did not believe her & accused her of having eaten it herself. Disconsolate, she ran back to the temple, followed by her parents. They saw her body enter the linga. Frantic, they clutched her hair but too late. Legend has it that even now a few strands of hair are sticking to the linga.

The Other Meaning of Darwin

Charles Darwin's pathbreaking "The Origin of Species" was followed by "The Descent of Man." Here Darwin meant genealogical descent of humans from earlier animal species. It may be mentioned here in passing that this idea was anticipated in the Hindu Dashavatara theory. Bronowski produced a TV series & a book called "The Ascent of Man" where he implied the cultural ascent or rising from earlier animal species.

The only difference between humans & the rest of creation is curiosity about the external world & who may have created it. (God?). Sadly these differences seem to be vanishing, pulling down humans towards non human creation. The only human interest seems to be strictly confined to acquiring material wealth & status,  hitting out all other interests out of the park. We seem to be building a human (?) society without God (apart from temple runs to get wealth & status) & without any interest in culture.

The only acceptable human goals especially in India seem to be clearing competitive exams (and on succeeding, become like the infamous dog-walking couple) or build a successful start-up, and become a slave driving corporate honcho, exploiting vulnerable fellow creatures. 

Darwin might be turning in his grave to see the (social & cultural) descent of man into the abyss of a (biblical) "Golden Calf" worshipping society of unapologetic philistines.