a mighty creature has broken through the barricades. The stranger enters, heavily cloaked, and the birds cower in fear. The Hoopoe and Loyal Friend challenge the intruder, who announces that he has come as a friend to admonish them; through the grace of Zeus, they have been given a chance to mend their ways and submit to the will of the gods. The birds react defiantly, whereupon the stranger reveals that he is the titan Prometheus, who himself had once rebelled against the gods and had been punished severely. Despite this dire warning and the misgivings voiced by Good Hope and the Hoopoe, Loyal Friend brashly exhorts the birds to wage war against the gods. Suddenly a terrible storm breaks forth, manifesting the wrath of Zeus, and a thunderbolt destroys the citadel of the birds. Chastened, the birds sing a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to Zeus. Loyal Friend emerges from hiding, clearly rattled but putting up a good front. Dismissing the whole adventure among the birds as a foolish lark, he urges Good Hope to return with him to the comforts of home in the city. Good Hope lingers for a moment, reflecting upon his brief encounter with the Nightingale, an experience which will live forever in his heart. As he turns to leave, the call of the Nightingale is heard once more; overwhelmed with emotion, Good Hope sets out on his journey home. Instrumentation The orchestral score requires: 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 1 flute behind the scenes, oboe, English horn (doubling oboe 2), 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons (2nd doubling contrabassoon); 4 horns in E, 2 trumpets in B-flat, 3 trombones, tuba; timpani, percussion (2 players), 2 harps, celesta; strings (violins I, violins II, violas, violoncellos, double basses). Recordings In 1996 Decca released the world premiere recording in their Entartete Musik series. This recording was made in the Jesus-Christus-Kirche in Berlin-Dahlem in December 1994, with Lothar Zagrosek conducting the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. In 2010 Arthausmusik released a DVD recording of a production of Die Vogel at LAOPERA. The Los Angeles Opera performances on April 23rd and 26th 2009, conducted by James Conlon were used, with soloists Desirée Rancatore, Brandon Jovanovich and James Johnson, directed by Tresnjak. DVD catalogue No.NTSC 101 529 Arthaus Musik GmbH. Notes Operas by Walter Braunfels 1920 operas German-language operas Operas Operas based on plays Operas based on works by Aristophanes