Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Everyday (Part 1)

Excuse the overuse of bold print!

Maiblumen Bluhten Uberall: Von Zemlinsky
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This is wonderful, fantastic and challenging to listen to. I love the opening and close of the piece. It is divine. I like some of the singing, but there is a moment when it gets too angsty and this takes away from the enjoyment of it ('hyper-expressive' says Clemency). I thought the notes on this piece were good today. Sometimes you get the impression that everyone knew each other in the classical music circle :)
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"Pleasant" is the word that came to my mind too, Fuzzy.

The Yellow Cake Revue; Farewell to Stromness: Peter Maxwell Davies.

This piece is growing on me. It's pleasant enough. The first section comprises of a cheerful tune that sounds like it is based on traditional music. The second section starts off in a minor key. It's moodier and more serious and it sounds more classical in its melodic line than what went before. Then there is a bridge back to the cheerful main theme and it ends on a happy note.

The first section and main theme is reminiscent of a TV theme tune, in a good way.

Agreed, Fuzzy.

Yes, I know what you mean, bibliomania.
I liked listening to it once, but I don't feel like another listen. I feel I already know it too well.
Objectively though, it is lovely.

Like Fuzzy, I didn't know the context for today's - have just heard the first line warbled as a generic weddingy churchy type thing. I find it a bit hard to get past its over-familiarity.

'Ellens Gesang' 111, D. 839 ('Ave Maria'): Schubert.

I didn't know the background to this piece of music and I found it interesting. I always considered it to be a stand-alone piece. I didn't know that this piece was written in the context of a larger work, based on the writing of Sir Walter Scott.
The music is beautiful. A classic for good reason.

Hello folks.
Unlike most of you I really enjoyed the Debussy. I loved the changes of tempo and the strong rubato feel throughout. My favourite movement from Children's Corner is The Snow is Dancing, though - so peaceful. I can't help but love Debussy even though he was clearly a wrong'un.

The Tavener didn't really hit the sweet spot for me. I don't know why - I feel it's the sort of thing I ought to like, but didn't especially. The Mozart was fine. So nice to see the viola shine. I love the mellow, rich tone. I have a strange mental block with the clarinet though, and always find myself thinking "this would sound nicer with an oboe".

I didn’t particularly like the Debussy but listened to some of the other Children’s Corner pieces which I liked more, The Serenade of the Doll was nice. I don’t really know what counterpoint is (even though I know it came up before, I fear I’m not a particularly great student in this area) so I didn’t really know what I was listening out for wrt Parnassus

The Tavener was beautiful. Just felt it washing over me, gorgeous.

The Mozart I agree was very charming and playful. You know in a Disney cartoon when creatures are gambolling about chasing each other and they kind of tumble together and make a full circle? It made me think of that. I have no idea why but there you are 😀I enjoyed it a lot.

I don't know Temple, but it sounds lovely and I would definitely like to visit the church sometime. It's great when you can make a connection like that to a piece of music, Welshwabbit.

I really like the Mozart Piano Trio too. It's a lovely combination of instruments; they work well together, viola, clarinet and piano. Yes, I agree that it's playful, wistful and I would say charming too. I'll mark it for the favourites list :)

Yes, what a lovely place to work. So much history.

Today’s Mozart is lovely. Wistful yet playful.

Jealous of you working in Temple, Welsh - I like a wander in that area when I'm in London. Very atmospheric.

I did like the Taverner. The Debussy is not for me. I didn't expect to like today's at all, but its playfulness won me over.

I work in Temple, right next to Temple Church (and worked there in 2003) - I wish I'd known about the all-night vigil! The choir practises on Wednesday evenings and it's a huge privilege to be able to listen in. So I have a personal investment in the Taverner but I also think it's a beautiful piece of music in its own right.

My favourite from April was the Beethoven - even though I'm not particularly familiar with that movement, I found myself randomly humming it! I've never been a particular fan of Mendelssohn, but I really liked the lovely E Minor concerto; the whole piece is beautiful. I didn't like the Debussy at all!

Sculthorpe - I liked this too, really interesting and textural.

Mendelssohn - Love this, so pretty and much better as a violin piece than the Paganini of the other day,

Debussy I liked this a lot at the start but disliked the ending.

Taverner Beautiful.

Mother of God Here I Stand: John Taverner.

I think this is beautiful; it's peaceful, calm, restorative.

The first performance of this piece sounds amazing, in the context of an all-night vigil between 10pm and 6am.

Yes, Alias, and it also takes time for it to grow on you.

Scriabin Sounds like a very interesting character. This was pleasant and soothing to listen to.

Lay a Garland - de Pearsall Beautiful

Sculthorpe - ooh this was interesting and dark. I’m not sure it would make the regular playlist but I liked it.

Mendelssohn Fabulous - I like the violin when it sounds like this.

As an aside, I listened again to the Monk Ellis Island which I really didn’t like the first time, and enjoyed it so much more. It’s weird how dependent it can be on your mood/ the day.

Children's Corner L.113:1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum: Debussy.

This piece has some nice moments in it. I think I hear some stepwise movement in the melody which might refer to the Steps of Mount Parnassus, perhaps?

The notes left me feeling sorry for Debussy's wife and how unhappy she was following his affair. I'm not feeling as well-disposed towards him as Clemency is. I think it's going to colour my view of his music!

The Scriabin and the Pearsall were unremarkable for me. The Sculthorpe I wasn't looking forward to from the description but it definitely worked better in practice than on paper, and was very atmospheric.

The Mendelssohn Violin Concerto is a great end to the month. I'm much less familiar with this movement than the first, but it's great to be reminded of how fresh it sounds for its time.

April's highlights for me were Brahms, Milhaud, Monk, Vivaldi and Sibelius.

Violin Concerto in E Minor, Third Movement: Mendelssohn.

We opened this month's selection of pieces with the first movement of Tchaikovsky's brilliant piano concerto in B-flat Minor and we are closing it with this stunning excerpt from the violin concerto in E Minor by Mendelssohn. Two epic works.

I love all three movements of this concerto. Sparks fly when I listen to the third one. Outstanding.

Favourites for the month. There are many as usual, as it's so hard to narrow it down. In chronological order; Tchaikovsky, Górecki, Milhaud, Meredith Monk, Vivaldi, Tailleferre, Purcell, Jocelyn Pook, Sibelius, Pearsall, Mendelssohn.

Onwards to May 😃

Loved the Pearsall. Haven't listened to the Sculthorpe yet, but intrigued by Fuzzy's reference to the didgeridoo!

String Quartet no. 14, 'Quamby': Peter Sculthorpe.

I thought this was weird and wonderful. It's dark and menacing and the didgeridoo really lends to creating that atmosphere. It's a piece that I could imagine being used as part of a film score. Very interesting.

Paganini - started ok but I began to feel it was a showing off exercise rather a pleasurable experience for the listener. The dog didn’t like it at all.
Scriabin, well nice enough as background music.