Polish study finds pigs dig Mozart

Tests were carried out over a five-month period on two herds of pigs, with one group being exposed to music by the 18th century composer, the other listening to symphonic versions of tracks by German rockers Scorpions.

“As it turned out, the animals prefer Mozart, and his works have an exceptional influence on them,” PhD student Monika Petrynka told the TVN24 news channel.

“They are more peaceful, and they spend more time relaxing and having fun,” she added.

Above all, the pigs in the Mozart pen put on more weight, and Petrynka has stressed that “when the animals are relaxed, the quality of their meat is higher.”

Petrynka hopes that her university's finding could usher in winds of change on Polish farms.

No tests have been carried out using Polish music to date, hence pundits can only speculate as to whether the animals would warm to national hero Chopin or avant-garde icon Górecki. (nh)