It’s August 8, and your living room is a furry warzone of pure feline energy. Your tabby is perched on the couch like a smug emperor, the internet is on fire with cat content, and your X is flooded with videos of cats knocking over vases and shredding curtains.
This can only mean one thing! It’s International Cat Day, created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare to raise awareness for cats and learn about ways to help and protect them.
So, let’s go ahead and celebrate these fluffy felines who have had us thinking that we’re in charge since ancient Egypt. Toss a treat, get out that laser pointer, and join the global purr-fest. Today, the cats are winning, and we are just here to clean the litter boxes and be happy.
Shirley Ly: Waltz of the Cats
Cat and Mouse
It’s hard to say cat without actually saying mouse. And that’s what Aaron Copland thought as well when he crafted a sprightly scherzo that’s practically a cartoon chase in musical form. The Cat and the Mouse dates from 1920, and it is a mischievous take on a chase up and down the keyboard.
The piece opens with skittering, high-pitched notes, an intro to our mouse darting across the keys with cheeky bravado. The melody zips and zags, all staccato and sly, as if the mouse is dodging danger with a wink.
Then the cat enters in low chords that stalk with a mock-serious swagger. The music’s quick shifts, including sudden pauses and frantic sprints, paint a scene of the cat lunging, only for the mouse to slip away, maybe even sticking out its tongue for good measure. Did the mouse escape, or did the cat finally pounce? We don’t know, but who says that classical music can’t have a sense of humour?
Aaron Copland: The Cat and the Mouse
Duet for Two Cats
In the dead of night, when the moon casts silvery shadows, the neighbourhood becomes an impromptu stage for a feline cacophony. You don’t have to listen very carefully to hear cats, perched on backyard fences, serenading the stars with dissonant duets.
There are howls mixed with guttural wails and piercing shrieks, all sounding like a heated argument over who gets the last sardine. It’s chaotic and oddly captivating, like an audition for an avant-garde opera.
This glorious racket sets the perfect stage for Rossini’s “Duet for Two Cats.” It’s actually music from his opera Otello arranged for two sopranos that captures the hilarious spirit of a feline vocal battle. For International Cat Day, this duet is a purr-fect tribute to nocturnal feline concerts.
Gioachino Rossini: Duet for Two Cats
The Little Cat
Bohuslav Martinů’s “Le petit chat,” part of his Three Christmas Songs dates from 1929. It is a delightful and whimsical gem that captures the sprightly innocence of a frolicking kitten. Written for voice and piano, it evokes a playful, almost childlike scene.
The text reflects on the composer’s time in Paris, and the music paints a festive image. And in the middle of it is a tiny kitten leaping from snowbanks and chasing imaginary snowflakes. The vocal line dances with light and skipping phrases, like a kitten darting through a snowy street.
The melody is simple yet spry, and it bubbles with staccato notes that mimic a kitten’s erratic bound. The piano, meanwhile, provides a gentle and twinkling accompaniment. Perfect for International Cat Day, this piece is a heartwarming miniature wrapped in a quirky and modernist sparkle.
Bohuslav Martinů: 3 Christmas Songs, H. 184b: Le poulet / Le petit chat – Le petit chat (The Little Cat) (text: attrib. L. Xanrof) (Olga Cerna, mezzo-soprano; Jitka Čechová, piano)
The Cat’s Fugue
It makes a wonderful anecdote, but it’s almost certainly not true. According to legend, Domenico Scarlatti’s cat wandered across his harpsichord, inspiring a peculiar and scampering theme that the composer turned into a fugue.
It’s charming, but don’t believe everything you read. The title “The Cat’s Fugue” actually comes from Muzio Clementi. Nevertheless, the piece sounds like a cascade of notes that dart and weave like a cat chasing shadows. We’ve got playful leaps and sudden pauses and a fugal subject that skitters across the keys like a cat tiptoeing along a ledge.
Did you enjoy the playful hesitations and sudden dashes? It’s a perfect piece for International Cat Day because it embodies the essence of feline charm through its playful, unpredictable musicality. Whether evoking a crafty chase, moonlit prowl, a snowy caper, or a keyboard stroll, this little collection offers a joyful tribute to the charm of cats and a perfect soundtrack for honouring our feline companions.
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