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Virginia Oliver

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Members of the <a href="https://underholdningsorkester.dk/en/" target="_blank">Danish Chamber Orchestra</a> performing <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/12/19/mozarts-dear-old-dad/59fdacf0-842f-4fdb-9971-ca014385ab14/" target="_blank">Leopold Mozart’s</a> little-known <a href="https://smartandsoulfulmusic.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/music-for-the-hunt-day-2-hunting-symphony-by-leopold-mozart/" target="_blank">Hunting Symphony</a> began to smile as the third movement began.

Three dogs pranced onstage with their humans before the audience of 750 people in Copenhagen — and on cue — the pups began to bark along with the instruments.

Cookie, Sophus and Sica were all selected to be part of the performance for their woofing skills.

The symphony features barking dogs, hunting calls and simulated gunshots by a percussionist. Most orchestras that perform the piece choose to use recordings of dogs barking, but conductor <a href="https://www.adamfischer.at/home/" target=_blank>Adam Fischer</a> decided to showcase live expert baying in the piece.

“I immediately had the idea that I should try to perform it once in the original version,” he said, explaining that the composer — the father of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/the-astounding-brilliance-and-abiding-joy-of-mozart/2020/12/17/dd261154-28fe-11eb-92b7-6ef17b3fe3b4_story.html" target="_blank">Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart</a> — included what he called “<a href="https://smartandsoulfulmusic.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/music-for-the-hunt-day-2-hunting-symphony-by-leopold-mozart/" target="_blank">naturalism</a>” in several of his works.

The audience gave a howling ovation after the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DzPXrASKiW-BaFRVb3FaDyqlHWOG_IdI/view" target=_blank>Sept. 3 performance</a>, Fischer said.

“I did this [symphony] once at a New Year’s concert in Budapest about 20 years ago, but only with one dog,” Fischer told The Washington Post in an email.

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“This time, I thought we could stick to the composer’s intention of [using] several dogs that should bark,” he said, noting that he first came across the Hunting Symphony about 50 years ago as a music student.

Danish Chamber Orchestra/Toke Bjoerneboe

Fischer put out a call for show dogs earlier this year, and on April 13, about a dozen dogs and their handlers showed up for an <a href="https://slippedisc.com/2023/03/orchestra-summons-dogs-to-audition/" target=_blank>open dog audition</a> at <a href="https://www.musikhusetkoebenhavn.dk/" target=_blank>Copenhagen Music House</a> to show off their talent for barking on command.

The difficult task of remaining silent on command was given equal merit.

“The dogs showed whether they could bark and stop again, and afterward, a string quartet accompanied them so we could see how the dogs reacted to the music,” Andreas Vetö, CEO of the Danish Chamber Orchestra, said in an email.

Vetö, Fischer and a dog trainer were judges at the audition.

Helle Lauvring, 60, was thrilled that her four-year-old Spanish water dog, Cookie, was among the  three canines to be chosen.

“I’ve been training Cookie for many years, and I knew she could bark when I asked her to and that she would be perfect for the job,” Lauvring said in an email. “She is very obedient and good at taking commands.”

For the next several months, Lauvring worked with Cookie at home and attended a few dress rehearsals with the other dogs, Sophus, a cocker spaniel, and Sica, a German shepherd. Vetö said the dogs were allowed to roam around the concert hall and spend time with the musicians so they would feel comfortable.

They also had a few training sessions with a dog trainer, he said. But the most effective way to get them to respond to commands was having their owners give them treats.

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Fischer said working with dogs as guest artists wasn’t much different from sharing the stage with human performers.

“In principle, it’s the same, but it was a sort of ‘indirect’ conducting,” he said. “I gave signs to start and to stop barking to the dog owners, and they passed them on to the dogs.”

Including dog performers in the Hunting Symphony helped to temper classical music’s elitist image, Vetö said, because almost anyone can relate to seeing a dog eager to perform.

“The dogs showed us that suddenly we can communicate music to an audience that would not necessarily listen to classical music,” he said, explaining that the canines inspired people who might not attend classical concerts to give it a try.

Although The Hunting Symphony is not often performed, it was put on by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with real canines at an outdoor concert nine years ago.

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Composer Leopold Mozart was an accomplished violinist and teacher who became a court composer for the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg in 1757. He was reportedly <a href="https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/concerti-da-caccia" target=_blank>fond of the French horn</a> and featured four horn soloists in the Hunting Symphony, written in 1756.

The Danish Chamber Orchestra was excited to perform the piece, Vetö said, noting that members are always up for something new.

In 2014, guest conductor and pepper enthusiast Chili Klaus gave the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuvUaFp_qMQ&app=desktop&fbclid=IwAR1kJSEjTvFuqq2DqE4TrLc-ScsX5y7bmYi_JywnyQLU6FMJ85SnWWHyJGQ" target=_blank>musicians hot chile peppers</a> to eat before performing “Tango Jalousie” by Danish composer Jacob Gade.

Klaus, also known as Claus Pilgaard, is a <a href="https://www.nordicstylemag.com/blog/2014/12/chili-klaus-claus-pilgaard" target=_blank>musician and chile enthusiast</a> known for sharing hot peppers with people and filming their reactions. During the performance in Copenhagen, the chamber musicians played the piece, some with tear-filled eyes, then rushed for the exits.

With the Hunting Symphony, the only food onstage was dog treats.

Helle Lauvring

On the night of the performance, Lauvring and the other dog handlers waved their arms like conductors to encourage their dogs to bark whenever Fischer gave them the nod. They kept plenty of snacks in their pockets so they could reward their dogs after each solo.

“Cookie barked at the right time, and I could see that she really enjoyed it and had a blast — so did I,” Lauvring said, noting that four of her family members were in attendance.

“I was really nervous to be onstage, but also very excited,” she said.  “It was a fun experience. Cookie was really good and performed exactly as we planned.”

Lauvring isn’t certain whether more time in the spotlight is in her dog’s future,  because Cookie’s day job might interfere.

“She is also a certified reading dog, supporting children who struggle with reading,” she said, explaining that Cookie focuses intently on each child and helps them feel comfortable reading aloud.

As for Fischer, he said he doesn’t know if other four-legged guest artists will grace the stage again in Copenhagen, but he’s keeping an open mind.

“I would be happy to perform other pieces,” Fischer said. “I love animals.”

Cathy Free is a human interest reporter who specializes in stories of humanity. She has written for The Washington Post's Inspired Life section since 2018. 

Cathy Free

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A Danish orchestra used dogs as soloists during a symphony performance

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The 3 soloists chosen for an orchestra performance? Barking dogs.

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