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

990 replies

MamaNewtNewt · 04/01/2022 15:50

This thread is for the 50 bookers (or in fact anyone else who wants to join in!) who are reading Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Everyday by Clemency Burton-Hill.

The author has selected one piece of music for each day in the year, and includes a brief overview of the piece and the composer to provide some context. There's a playlist on Spotify and we can share links to each piece of music for those without access to Spotify.

I think most of us are planning on (roughly) sticking to the daily setup but feel free to read / listen ahead although the discussions are likely to stay around the music for the current date.

Thanks to @TheTurn0fTheScrew for bringing this book to our attention on the thread. Really looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts.

OP posts:
AliasGrape · 02/02/2022 13:49

The notes today were good, how sad that she had to hide her talents or have them dismissed because she was a women (and with what depressing regularity that story repeats across so many different fields). The piece itself didn’t do much for me though.

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 02/02/2022 09:30

Fanny Mendelssohn; String Quartet in E flat major, 1st mvt

I really enjoyed listening to this; I thought it was beautiful, expressive, balanced. I love chamber music and the string quartet is the perfect form.
I never heard of Fanny mentioned in history books, just Felix. Like Clara Schumann, recognition only came in relatively recent times.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 01/02/2022 20:26

this is new to me, as is most opera. It's lovely. Pavarotti's top note here is a thing of beauty.

PermanentTemporary · 01/02/2022 20:22

I really enjoyed this - I do like some opera but tenor is my least favourite voice as a rule. What a tune though.

AliasGrape · 01/02/2022 19:01

@BestIsWest I definitely will

BestIsWest · 01/02/2022 16:47

The first one was Cavalliera Rusticana /Pagliacci and the second was Tosca. I actually cried during Tosca! @AliasGrape go if you get a chance.

AliasGrape · 01/02/2022 16:12

@BestIsWest what did you see?

BestIsWest · 01/02/2022 14:11

I’ve only been twice AliasGrace - Welsh National Opera in both cases, DH dragged me along the first time and I adored it. Covid got in the way of going more often but It was so unexpectedly wonderful.

AliasGrape · 01/02/2022 14:05

I enjoyed this. I also went down a rabbit hole of different tenors, I found a Roberto Alagna version which I loved, but really I don’t know what I’m looking/ listening for nor had I heard of any of them apart from Pavarotti.

I would like to go to the opera one day.

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 01/02/2022 13:21

Good to hear that @MsNorth.

MsNorth · 01/02/2022 13:18

Thank you @IsFuzzyBeagMise. Having a good day so far!

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 01/02/2022 12:39

I hope you are on the mend MsNorth Smile

MsNorth · 01/02/2022 12:15

Listening to opera is not for me, although I have enjoyed going to the ENO a few times.
My January favourites were all new to me: Byrd, Glass, Katz-Chermin especially. But mostly I’m loving the whole experience and sharing it with all of you.

BestIsWest · 01/02/2022 11:07

I’m familiar with this too - I’m used to hearing the Pavarotti version so went off into a little rabbit hole of different tenors but concluded he was the best.

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 01/02/2022 10:06

I'm used to hearing this aria played often on the radio. I didn't know the meaning behind it, so I appreciated the notes today. I enjoyed listening to this. Clemency is right. When opera gets it right, it really hits all the right notes for emotional impact.

Cherryana · 01/02/2022 08:36

Che gelida mania - Puccini
It was okay. I think I would like it more seeing it on stage. On the Spotify playlist I was able to read the words as it went along (in Italian) but because I couldn’t understand it anyway - it was better to just listen!

Cherryana · 01/02/2022 08:32

Hello my January favourites were:Bach, Hidegard of Bingen, Poulenc, Meldelsshon, Fuare

We have made it to February!

PermanentTemporary · 31/01/2022 23:45

I think in order the Kapsberger, the von Bingen, the Reich and the Glass were my favourites too. I'm just listening to the Kapsberger again, it has that hairs on the back of the neck effect.

bibliomania · 31/01/2022 22:34

Today's one won me over, slightly to my surprise, as i overall I prefer the pieces featuring the human voice. The Hahn piece was the surprise winner for me.

Overall, this has brightened up my January.

AliasGrape · 31/01/2022 12:10

My favourites were Von Bingen, Poulenc, Lauridsen and Hahn. Also probably the Shostakovich.

Listening again to the Messaien really moved me, maybe more than the first listen, perhaps because the story has stayed in my mind and sort of gathered momentum! And I was quite rude about the Mendelssohn first time round and found I liked it much better listening again.

The Kapsberger lute piece has made it onto our Friday playlist for cooking dinner to!

On to today’s piece - Echorus - I feel a bit lukewarm about it and once again like I’m missing something. As other pieces have shown though, it often takes me a few tries so perhaps it will grow on me.

MsNorth · 31/01/2022 12:02

(Soyabean)

MsNorth · 31/01/2022 12:00

I love this and see I will have a day of listening to lots more Glass. Thank you so much @MamaNewtNewt for this thread. It has really been a great daily activity while I’m at home.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 31/01/2022 11:32

Echorus is lovely. Calming without being bland or saccharine, and going in interesting directions.

Of this month's selections there were twelve that I'd listen to again regularly. Ten of those were new to me, and it's been great to have my listening refreshed and challenged. The Beethoven was a standout, with Glass and Mendelssohn probably my next favourite of the dozen.

BestIsWest · 31/01/2022 10:59

My favourites were Von Bingen, Poulenc, Puccini, Lauridsen, Shostakovich and Hahn and the Glass. With honourable mention to Steve Reich which moved me in odd ways.

BestIsWest · 31/01/2022 10:53

Also liked todays! I could listen to more like this. Definitely enjoying the strings pieces.

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