L'usignolo dell'imperatore – Des Kaisers Nachtigall

The youthful emperor loves the song of the nightingale. When he is sent a toy bird, its virtuoso but lifeless tones drive the natural nightingale out of the emperor’s favour – mechanical trickery wins over living song, the artificial replaces the natural. But when the toy breaks and the emperor sickens, it is the living nightingale that makes him well again and conquers death.

"Andersen’s tale is simply told, in a linear quick-moving style, in theatre music for a ballerina and a number of mime actors. The solo flute of course represents the nightingale, the piccolo the noise of the mechanical bird. The other melody instruments present all the emotions of the young Emperor (still almost a child), while percussion, piano and celesta provide the atmosphere of chinoiserie. Since its creation this work has been performed several times as a flute concerto."