Imagery and bumblebees

Music Discussion Questions Personal Response The composition by Bobby Mcferrin with awesome orchestration with Cello is inspired from Rimsky’s opera “ The Tale of Tsar Saltan” and produces the quality image of an insect especially bee with his strings quite similar to an opera effect. As a classical composer, Bobby Mcferrin had enough credibility to compose such a piece which is incomparable, universal and incredible in terms of the effect it produces on the listener’s mind. The tempo and the varied pitch of Bobby’s composition, which is quite unconventional not only with cello but also with any string instrument, excellently produces the effect almost similar to the humming of a bee and the listener is bound to feel the image. The effect of the music is too strong to be comprehended in black and white (Ma, Y & Mcferrin, B., “ Live Recording”).
Imagery and Bumblebees
Flight of the Bumblebees is the orchestral interlude composed by the famous opera producer, Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov. The composition was produced for the opera “ The Tale of Tsar Saltan” in the year 1899-1900. The plot of the opera suggests the evolution of a magical swan bird that changes the prince Govidon Saltanovich to an insect so that he can fly to his father who is unaware of his life. After a close introspection into the orchestra , deducting the visual elements of the opera which closes at Act III, Tableau1, the harmony and tempo with special stress on the symphony played by the violin, cello and other stringed instruments produce an image very much close to the humming of the bees. Like the sound produced by the insect, the tempo of the music slowly builds up with variation of the pitch accordingly which makes it more relative with the humming of the bees (Audio Sparx, “ Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov”).
References
Audio Sparx. “ Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov”. 2010. Composers. 24th September, 2010. Ma, Yo-Yo & Mcferrin, Bobby. “ Live Recording”. 24th September, 2010. CD Universe. 24th September, 2010.