For the Birds

A show dedicated to a class of animal that may, in spirit, be closest to ourselves: birds. In this hour, Brad Klein meditates on the fate of the passenger pigeon, two singers offer their very different imitations of a birdsong, and host Dean Olsher visits with artist Walton Ford in his western Massachusetts studio where he draws inspiration from Audubon in his large, brilliant paintings. Also, Australian sound artist Sherre DeLys talks to her pet parrot about flea markets, travel and memory.

Passenger Pigeons
It was 90 years ago that Martha, the last passenger pigeon on Earth, died in the zoo in Cincinnati, hometown of Next Big Thing contributor Brad Klein. Klein considers what led to the extinction of the passenger pigeon, and along with the help of actor David Cale and diary excerpts of John James Audubon, imagines how the birds would have looked and sounded. Produced by Sherre Delys and Emily Botein.

Bird Longing
Essayist and retired English professor Frank Burroughs has been looking at John James Audubon's Birds of America for as long as he can remember. In the New York Public Library's rare book room, before a double elephant folio containing Audubon's original prints dating back to the early 19th century, Burroughs contemplates what it is about these works that still captures our imagination. Produced by Matt Lieber.

Ariana in Creta
Audubon wasn't the only artist to understand the concept of "bird longing." The Baroque composer George Frederic Handel got it too, when he was writing an aria for his opera "Ariana in Creta." He made Ariana sing in the voice of a lonely nightingale. Here, the part is sung by Caroline Worra, accompanied by Jennifer Peterson on harpsichord. It's from a Gotham Chamber Opera production staged earlier this year. Produced by Matt Lieber.

Ages Ago
Living anywhere unfamiliar for a period of time, one accumulates bits and pieces - odd objects, tentative friendships, a growing sense of belonging. But memories are the things we collect most. When Next Big Thing producer Sherre DeLys lived in a Belgian village, she went to flea markets to find these things. In this excerpt from a longer piece titled "Ages Ago," Delys offers some of her mismatched "˜sound objects' to help us think about the things we collect.

Bird Song
A sampling of the sound of birds, slowed down, speeded up, and reinterpreted in human voices. It's the work of composer, performer and sound artist Pamela Z. Her piece, "Syrinx," was part of the MorrowSound Cube at last year's New Sound New York Festival.

Nature with a Twist
Artist Walton Ford has gained notoriety for his painstakingly rendered watercolors and etchings of wildlife. His work is inspired by 19th century natural history artists like John J. Audubon, but takes the tradition of such artists and applies it in surprising and unsettling ways. Last fall, host Dean Olsher visited Ford at his studio in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, to look at works in progress. Produced by Matt Lieber.

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