Amsel: The Black Charmer That Heralds Spring – The Bird That Captivated O. Messiaen and Paul McCartney

The Amsel (Blackbird), which inhabits all of Europe, begins to play its melody with a clear, flute-like voice in the dawn sky from around March to May.
Only the males sing, and it is said that most do so to mark their territory.
You can also hear their song at dusk, during the twilight moments just after sunset.

While they look like small crows, their bright orange beaks are eye-catching. They are familiar creatures often seen in neighborhood parks and similar places.

This season, at the window of the apartment where I live, I can hear the Amsel singing from around 4:00 to 5:00 in the morning. They disappear just as the sun rises.

I tried recording their voice on my phone. It is short, but please take a listen.

During my first spring studying abroad in Vienna, when I heard this bird's voice, I was struck by a sensation that went beyond mere enchantment—it was as if I were being drawn into the sound itself.
It was so pleasant that I felt almost intoxicated, and I even felt a sense of danger, as if my soul were being carried away somewhere.

Am I the only one who finds this beautiful song somewhat agonizing?

Olivier Messiaen

For the French composer Messiaen, the Amsel had a soft, lyrical song, which he transcribed accurately into his scores and incorporated into his works.

Le Chocard des Alpes (Alpine Chough)
In the seventh piece of Catalogue d’oiseaux (Catalogue of Birds)
the song of the Blackbird (Merle noir) = Amsel appears.
Messiaen describes this bird as "coloring the twilight with a sweet, lyrical voice."

Le Merle Noir (The Blackbird) (1952)
A work for flute and piano. This piece is dedicated solely to the Blackbird and is the work that most clearly takes the Amsel as its theme. The flute mimics the nuances of the actual Amsel's song.

Paul McCartney

"Blackbird" – The Beatles (1968)
While using the bird's song as a motif, it also incorporates solidarity with the civil rights movement. The opening includes the actual chirping of a bird, serving as a symbol of nature and freedom.
Paul McCartney has said that this song is an anthem of support for Black women in America. The bird song used is a recording of an actual European Blackbird (Amsel).

Literature

German Literature
Descriptions reminiscent of the Blackbird can be found in the nature poetry of poets like Heinrich Heine and Rilke (even if the bird's name is not mentioned, they often appear in forms such as "a black bird singing at dusk").
The Amsel often appears in poetry as a symbol of the "messenger of spring" or the "lonely poet."

English Literature
The Blackbird is a popular motif in Romantic and nature poetry.
In particular, in the poems of William Wordsworth and Thomas Hardy, the "Blackbird" appears as a symbol of hope, melancholy, and communion with nature.