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

Lay a Garland: Robert Pearsall

I think this is an utterly gorgeous piece of music. Choral perfection! It really sounds like music from the Renaissance. Exquisitely haunting and one for the favourites list.
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The Paganini isn't for me either, all that scraping away at the strings.

24 Preludes, Op. 11, No. 13 in G-Flat Major: Scriabin.

This is a lovely, quiet, unassuming piece of music. Tranquil and expressive.

Totally agree Fuzzy on the Paganini. I can hear how incredibly technically difficult this piece must be to play, but it leaves me cold.

I thought ‘oh yes I know this’ as it started but reading the notes I realised it’s the Rachmaninov I know (and prefer - I had a quick listen and confirmed this, spoiler alert for July haha).

This really did show the range of sounds the violin can make - sorry that’s a philistine’s way of putting it but can’t think of a better way to say what I mean! And as such it definitely illustrates my issue with the violin - parts were lovely but there were bits that just sounded bloody awful to my ears! Definitely the importance of the musician/ version too - first one I found was someone or other in concert and it wasn’t particularly enjoyable. Then I found a video of a performance by Clara-Jumi Kang which was much better, she was quite engrossing to watch too.

Really liked the Sibelius, even if my brain kept trying to picture a Strictly waltz set to it.

24 Caprices, Op. 1: No. 5 in A Minor: Paginini.

This piece is amazing in terms of its technical brilliance and I can appreciate how it paved the way for later composers to write for the violin as a virtuosic instrument. It's not a piece that I particularly enjoy listening to, however. I'm getting flashbacks to the studies that I used to practise, particularly the long chromatic runs at the start shudders 😅

Little catch-up. I thought the Pook was very clever - unmistakably modern, but you can absolutely tell it's evoking the Renaissance, without being too cringey.

Beethoven gets a thumbs up, although it's my least favourite movement from the symphony. The third movement has my heart, and I do like the little whisper we get of it about halfway through the fourth. The flute and bassoon melodies after one of the false endings are really playful. And it also reminds me of Howard's End, which I love.

The Sibelius is lush - both dramatic and delicate all at once. One for my playlist, definitely.

It just put me in mind of being in class at school and hearing the piano learners practicing out in the hall.

It did plod along at the start, Best, but picked up and went into a gallop soon afterwards 😄

Sibelius, liked the orchestral version especially the woodwind parts. It is very sad as the title implies though it does have jolly bits.
The spotify piano version was very plodding - but maybe I should have listened to the whole thing.

I enjoyed the Sibelius today, I'm not using the Spotify list so it was the orchestral version I heard.

I think that Beethoven was a bit of a joker, Welshwabbit he did it deliberately to keep the audience on their toes.

I also like the fact that, like all good classical music, it has about 17 false endings.

I am disgracefully behind, having not listened daily since 5 April. I have been doing a catch up over the past few days which is decidedly not ideal. I think I will have to go back to listen again to some. That said, the only one of the pieces since 5 April (apart from today's) that got the hairs standing up on the back of my neck was the first part of Wagner's Tannhauser. I do like a bit of Wagner despite all the obvious problems (and despite knowing very little about his music generally). I also really liked the Mussorgsky (he was one of the composers I remember my parents playing when I was little and I think I remember this piece), Ellis Island and I did like both the cello and sung versions of the Vivaldi. I didn't like Andreas Scholl's voice on Music for a While but really liked a Barbara Hendricks version I found on Amazon Music. Oddly, I quite liked his voice on How Sweet The Moonlight, and enjoyed that one generally.

Re: today's, Beethoven is my absolute favourite, although I tend to prefer the minor movements of the big symphonies/sonatas, and obviously this, like virtually everything else he wrote, is a work of genius. This movement makes me happy, it's so joyous and celebratory (and yes, does also get the hairs standing up).

I really liked the Pook piece and I can see how it would really add to the atmosphere of the file. The Beethoven - while I'm not the biggest fan of the immense orchestral set-pieces, I can appreciate that it was stimulating stuff. Haven't got onto today's yet.

Valse Triste from Kuolema: Sibelius.

I know the orchestral version of this piece but I hadn't heard the piano version before. I like both, but prefer the orchestral version because of having played it before.
I like this waltz a lot; its beautifully melancholic opening and then its more cheerful development and then it swings in and out between joy and sadness at quite a dizzying rate before a quiet, quick conclusion.

I wasn’t wild about yesterday. I liked the tune but didn’t much like the singing style.

The Beethoven is what I think of as ‘proper classical music’. It’s great. Really pompous but uplifting at the same time.

Today’s was certainly triumphant. I see what Clemency means about hearing the influence on film music, the opening section of this movement particularly. It’s familiar as I’m sure I’ve heard it many times before without particularly knowing where. I prefer the more gentle stuff but I bet this would be great live - we go to an outdoor battle proms most years and I’m sure this features, though it’s my drunkest day of
the year usually so I couldn’t say with any certainty. Not been since before I was pregnant thanks to Covid, hopefully the next
time I go I might appreciate the music in a slightly more informed way!

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor ( 4th movement, Presto): Beethoven.

I hadn't heard this for a while and I enjoyed listening to it today. Satisfying.

Get well soon, AliasGrape!

I think it might be a favourite for me too Fuzzy It was very lovely, and quite restful to my Covid addled brain!

How Sweet the Moonlight from The Merchant of Venice: Jocelyn Pook.

I think this is really beautiful. I was wondering what I was listening to before reading the notes, as it seemed like a Renaissance piece but the strings sound contemporary. When I read that it was from a film score, it made sense. I've been listening to the other tracks from the album; it is really good. It's very cleverly done and enjoyable to listen to.

This such a lovely piece, really enchanting. The singer is the same as in the Purcell recording the other day. I wonder if I'm in the minority if I list this one as a favourite for the month, but if I am, I'm definitely in my happy place :)

So much to catch up on! I’m doing so badly at making time every day.

The Strauss was unsettling and sad. Liked it more than I expected.
Wagner was indeed quite stirring
Schubert - lovely
Chopin - I didn’t like the first Chopin piece from the book but this I enjoyed, very romantic
Handel Pleasant enough
Monk wanted to like but didn’t particularly
Vivaldi - gorgeous
Tailleferre Enjoyed this, as I have all from ‘Les Six’ so far
Purcell lovely
Mussorgsky I think I could have said this was a prelude without the notes, it definitely feels like the start of something. It’s lovely, evocative.
Dring - Quite enjoyed it.

I realise that’s not a particularly interesting post for anyone else 🙈 Hardly insightful music criticism but I’m a completist at heart, can’t help myself!

Yesterday's Mussorgsky was lovely, especially the delicate, pretty woodwinds at the start.

I didn't get on with today's piece at all. I'm a huge fan of the oboe, and was quite excited that it was going to be showcased today. However the piece didn't show much of the beautiful richness of tone that I love. At first I wondered if it was the Latin rhythm wasn't a great match for a very typically classical instrument, but I really love the oboe solos in Marquez's Danzons so I don't think it's that. I think it was just very lightweight, and the melody irritated me.