I. O Grilo tenor e a Cigarra com temor
II. A Joaninha que perdeu as pintas
III. Uma Melga bem educada
IV. A Carocha descontente
V. O Escaravelho do Estrume
VI. Um Piolho com vertigens
VII. Alfaiate por engano
VIII. Louva-a-Deus
IX. Barata tonta
X. Borboleta
XI. Gafanhoto saltitão
XII. A Carraça de raça
XIII. Uma Mosca na sopa
XIV. A Pulga avariada
XV. Abelhas
XVI. A Lagarta surda
XVII. Gorgulho comilão
XVIII. Bicho-da-Seda
XIX. Estado Larvar
XX. Besouro buzinão
XXI. Marcha das Formigas
XXII. Pirilampo Vaga-Lume
XXIII. Libelinha apressada
XXIV. Passa a Traça
XXV. Faz de Conta que não é Bicho-de-Conta
I wrote these 25 short pieces in March 2008, during the Easter Holliday, for Joana Raposo. Having already written several pieces and songs with animals as a core theme, I realized that mammals, fish, reptiles and birds tendentiously represented them, leaving the insect realm almost always left out.
Though normally unwanted in our households, the insect world is fascinating, and so I tried to put in some humour during the conception of the texts (of my own authorship in collaboration with Joana Raposo, also responsible for the illustrations), hoping it would make children feel closer to these un-valued animals, though in many cases, completely harmless (some exceptions like the mosquito, the flea, or the tick, are equally approached in the text in a soft manner).
Although a child might not get it, a short reference to a particular moment in Shostakovich’s 7th symphony march “Leninegrad”, that depicts the Nazi armies marching through invaded Russia, is made in Marcha das Formigas[i] (nº21).
Since this march constitutes on its own a reference to the formal scheme in Ravel’s Bolero, that in turn, was made over a motif stolen from The Merry Widow by Léhar (Hitler’s favorite operetta...) and having said so, all is laid down to understand the pun between the works. Being 25 in number, the order of execution of these pieces can be free, as in most concerts and auditions it will not be played integrally.
Besides these 25 songs dedicated to insects, there are still another eight covering the same theme (and with the same texts) in a series entitled Insectary (2008), and a series dedicated to other unwanted animals, featuring amongst other unwanted creatures: the centipede, and the scorpion (and the lacrau): Creepy Crawlies! (2008).
[i] Literally Ant March