National Dairy Month: Listen to 6 classical pieces to get you 'moo'-ving

Whether you love cheese, yogurt or milk, you are sure to enjoy these six classical works to get you ‘moo’-ving during National Diary Month in June.

Edvard Grieg: Kulokk & Stabbelåten

In Norwegian, “kulokk” and “stabbelåten” mean “cow-call" and “peasant dance.” In this short but highly romantic piece from his 2 Nordic Melodies, Grieg captivates us with vivid imagery of hardworking field hands enjoying themselves after a long but fruitful day.

John Adams: Hoedown (Mad Cow)

Not to be confused with mad cow disease, Adams’ second movement of his Gnarly Buttons is a fun dance that is knotty and lively. He tries to update the traditional idea of a hoedown, which was associated with horses, to a distinctly American perspective focused on our large cattle industry.

Phillip Bimstein: Garland Hirschi’s Cows

Bimstein is an American alternative classical composer who stretches the limitations of modern composition while filling the listeners’ imaginations with complex sounds. This work is simply a Utah farmer explaining why his cows moo. The composer takes that audio and combines it with a cacophony of live and electronic sound experiences.

Edward Elgar: The Farmyard

Written for woodwind quintet, this work, also called Harmony Music No. 4, takes the listener on a stroll through a lively and joy-filled farmyard. With an upbeat tempo, it brings the atmosphere of the farm to wherever you are listening. Can you guess which instrument is the cow?

Alexander Tcherepnin: The Greyhounds and the Cow

Russian composer Tcherepnin drew inspiration for this piece, part of his Le Monde En Vitrine, from a porcelain cow that was displayed next to two porcelain greyhounds. The active and exciting piano lines representing the dogs are contrasted by the more lethargic pace of the cow.

Percy Grainger: The Pretty Maid Milkin' Her Cow

Grainger got his inspiration for this work from a folksong he found while researching in Lincolnshire, England. The poet of the original text said he was filled with sorrow and was halted in his tracks by the beautiful singing of a young woman milking her cow.