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

It must be wonderful to play with an orchestra or to make music with others. I am very envious. Maybe something for retirement.
Liked the Bizet though it was unfamiliar to me.

I really enjoyed the Intermezzo. We are very much Team Woodwind at home, and this piece shows off the elegance of the flute and oboe particularly well.

My elder DC played this in a (IMVHO) fabulous flute ensemble a couple of weeks ago in a beautiful venue, so happy memories for me too. I didn't know it before that.

Bizet: Carmen Suite no. 1 (Intermezzo)

I was surprised and pleased to hear this piece selected from 'Carmen' as there are other better-known arias and choruses that Clemency could have chosen. She does that occasionally, though. She likes to profile lesser-known pieces.

This piece brings back happy memories for me as I played in three operas back in the day; 'Carmen' was one. It was challenging. The music isn't easy. The opera is long. I think there are two intervals. This intermezzo occurs before the third act, if my memory serves me right.

We had great fun during that time. The company hired a Swedish soprano for the role of Carmen. She didn't get on with the conductor. She stamped her foot in proper diva style and declared that either he would go or she would go. So the company decided it would be best to keep her and find another conductor, so they flew in this fellow from London (we're in Ireland). This was on the first of the dress rehearsals, two nights before the opening night. There was more drama off than on the stage :)

Back to the piece. It's lovely and languid in keeping with the relaxed atmosphere of people lazing around and chatting in the square in Seville, Spain.

I agree that it’s amazing to listen to something so old, that would have sounded the same six or seven hundred years ago.

Yes, TheTurn0fTheScrew. I feel the same and especially with choral music.

IsFuzzyBeagMise I agree on all points! The harmonies were beautiful, although I'm not sure it will become a playlist regular.

Listening to older music definitely provides a great sense of connection with the past. I'm a fully signed up atheist, but always go to Nine Lessons and Carols at our cathedral at Christmas, and think about all the generations who've sat in the same space listening to the very same music over the centuries.

Ockeghem: Requiem, Kyrie Eleison

I really like this piece. Short and sweet! A beautiful interplay of voices, soothing and calming. I'll listen to more of the requiem. It's fascinating that we can listen to music from the 1400s.

Happy March! Am still listening, but behind on posting. My favourite for February was Lili Boulanger, with other highlights being Fanny Mendelssohn, Bernstein, Schumann, and Brahms.

Over the last few days I enjoyed the Richter - short, simple, and elegant. I would have been happy to see it develop more but then I guess it wouldn't have been minimalist! The Borodin was beautiful - Romantic chamber music is very much up my street. Yesterday's Elgar I found quite stagnant and dull.

Today's was lovely - I've also gone for Bryn Terfel.

Meant to say that Vladimir's Blues felt like uncanny timing, to echo Alias.

Happy St David's Day, Best!

I like the bit of Elgar that you can hum along to, ie. the hackneyed bits. Yesterday's felt more advanced level.

I was coming on to say the same! Beautiful piece of music but I don't like the version on Spotify.

Happy St. David's Day!

Ar Hyd y Nos

Dydd Gwŷl Dewi hapus i bawb.

I hated the version of this on the Spotify playlist but this version by Bryn Terfel is just perfect

Off to persuade DH to make Welshcakes now. He makes the best.

I know what you mean. I felt the same. I had to listen to it a few times.

I couldn’t really get a handle on today’s. I liked bits of it, particularly towards the end, but as a whole I wasn’t overwhelmed.

Elgar: Symphony no. 2 in E flat major 2nd Movement

I love the music of Elgar. His cello concerto, Enigma Variations and Introduction and Allegro for Strings are all beautiful works.

I don't know this symphony. I like this movement from it. I thought it was very sombre and I loved the expressive oboe. It matches my mood today.

I have looked over the February pieces to list my favourites and it's nearly impossible. It would be easier to say what I didn't like (Berg) as I liked and loved so many of them. Special mention goes to Allegri, Landi, Gjeilo, Schumann and Liszt.

I’ve got a really soft spot for this Borodin quartet. I also love the fact that a whole Hollywood musical, 'Kismet', was based on Borodin's tunes, including this one ('And This Is My Beloved' was the song version of the quartet movement - this is the original 50s cast recording, wildly corny but kind of great!)

Btw Alias a nocturne is a night-piece, you can really hear that in the music, I think; it’s so beautifully hushed and magical. 'Andante' is just an indication of tempo, meaning it's played quite slowly.

February's musical offerings have been lovely. I will have a long list of favourites :)

I love the Borodin. Romantic is the right word to describe it. I played it once before when I was a music student. I really should have appreciated the chance to have played such beautiful music more then.

Vladimir’s blues - lovely, wished it was longer.

The Borodin is just beautiful, so romantic and made me quite emotional.

I’ve loved the last five pieces.

Catching up again
The Swan - Camille Saint-Saëns Lovely - I really enjoyed this.

Vladimir’s Blues Max Richter - gosh uncanny timing. Really enjoyed this piece also. Would be interested to hear the others.

Today’s piece String Quarte no. 2 in D major 3:Nocturne: Andante by Alexander Borodin

I’d love to know what half those terms mean in the titles ^
Anyway as I was trying to quickly catch up and then listen to today’s in the ten minutes I had free, I sort of sighed a bit when I saw not only was it strings but also over 7 mins when I was hoping for another 3 minute max piece! I’ve been saying that I’m not that fussed about many of the strings pieces (especially if only strings) and I don’t know, I just thought this would be boring somehow. The notes were certainly interesting though and Borodin does sound like an incredible man.

Anyway I found it beautiful, really really lovely and romantic. It made me want to fall in love again.

I don’t think my rushed catch up frame of mind did much justice to the three pieces I heard this morning and I’d like to go back to them all individually.

Max Richter: Vladimir's Blues

I really like this piece of music and I have started listening to 'The Blue Notebooks' on Spotify. It's a short collection of pieces featuring piano, organ, violin, voice and various sound effects; a very interesting combination. I like it a lot so far. It's very atmospheric; sometimes beautiful, sometimes unsettling.

Clemency's notes are very apt today. The timing is uncanny. This album was produced in 2003 in the run up to the allied invasion of Iraq and it was recorded a week after the mass protests took place.

Loved the swans although Carnival of the Animals always makes me think of music lessons in secondary school.

i thought yesterday's was lovely, but agree with Alias that perhaps there was a tiny touch of background music to it. Very pretty and relaxing though.

Like others, I know today's piece well, and I think it's beautiful. Even a couple of months of my younger child bashing it out for grade 4 oboe didn't ruin it for me . I listened to the Kanneh-Masons' version, which I was lucky enough to hear in person at the Proms this year, and I think they get it spot on.