Music Inspired in Groundwater and Other Components of the Hydrological Cycle

Water, as a symbol of fertility, death and rebirth, appears associated with many classical music works. Rivers, seas, lakes and glaciers are the leitmotivs of many composers who used them in different musical forms: symphonies, suites, symphonic poems and operas. The river, as a watercourse in continuous flow, is described in various stages of its life (Smetana: Vlatva), in its exuberance (J. Strauss: Blue Danube), as a privileged setting (Handel: Water Music) or as a celebration (Telemann: Wassermusik), or as a journey of fantastic trips (Wagner: Siegfried’s voyage along the Rhine) or as a generator of life (Schubert: The trout). In the sea, the water appears metamorphosed, in the movement, in the sound and in the colour that constitute the elements of the waves (Debussy: La Mer), represented as a terrific force (Verdi: Otello), as a scenario of storms (Vivaldi: La Tempesta del Mare), or pacificator (Mendelssohn: Calm Sea and Happy Travel) and as a stage for ancestral legends (Wagner: Der Fliegende Hollander) or as theme of several narratives: (Rimsky-Korsakov: Shererazade; Britten: Peter Grimes; Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau) or pure poetry (Vaughan Williams: Symphony The Sea). Also, in the lakes, it is represented as a heady element (Liadov: The Enchanted Lake) or as a spell (Tchaikowsky: The Swan Lake). The water appears invisible (Denisov: Legendes des Eaux Souterraines), static, in magnificent glacial landscapes (Vaughan Williams: Antarctic Symphony) or as a scenario of a battle (Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky) or pretext for beautiful architectures (Respighi: The Fountains of Rome). Rain inspires storms (Sibelius: The Tempest) and bonanzas (Beethoven: Pastoral Symphony) or as daydreams (Takemitsu: I Hear the Water Dreaming).