Aesop’s Fables

Everyone remembers Aesop’s meaningful stories from childhood! This spirited suite for woodwind quintet with narrator recounts five of Aesop’s well-loved tales. The fables come to life through vivid music and clever narration; and of course, each fable concludes with its timeless and well-known lesson. The two main characters in each story are musically represented by a particular pairing of the woodwind quintet instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn, and bassoon), thus each instrument is featured twice. Intriguing and accessible, challenging but not virtuosic, Aesop’s Fables is best suited for professional or university level musicians. It has been performed numerous times in the U.S. and abroad.

Listeners of all ages have enjoyed Aesop’s Fables at music festivals and in concerts, library performances, and school programs. Many times this work has served as the centerpiece for a Music in the Schools unit, in which music educators introduce the woodwind quintet instruments to young audiences. (Complementary units might then be offered in drama, puppetry, visual arts, literature, creative writing, values and social behavior, actions and consequences, and more, for a well-rounded, memorable educational experience.)