For centuries, cats have served as companions and muses for artists. And while we usually see the results of this creative relationship in paintings, musicians have also used their craft to celebrate felines. One of the most humorous examples of this is a unique 1800s opera with unknown origins called the Duetto buffo di due gatti, or “Funny duet for two cats” in English. What makes this performance so charming is that all of the lyrics are replaced with variations of meows.
Two choir boys sing this playful opera in a YouTube video that has garnered over 2 million views. Accompanied by a piano, they each take turns chanting meows, some long and drawn out, and others short and quite similar to the way a real cat sounds. As you watch the video, you can hear the laughter of the audience, who are clearly enjoying the whimsical show.
While it is not confirmed who created the cat duet, some believe it was the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, the author of the comic opera The Barber of Seville, among many other famous works. Another theory suggests that the feline-inspired song was made by another musician, but based on Rossini’s 1816 opera, Otello. Regardless of its origin, it’s safe to say there’s no other musical quite like it.
Watch this performance of Rossini’s cat duet—an 1800s opera that is composed entirely of meows.
h/t: [Classic fM]
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