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

It's a no from me for today's piece. Reminded me of the prelude to the first Bach Cello Suite, but not as good.

I thought the piece today was lovely. I don't know very much about classical music but I agree that it must be the chord progressions she means so although I can't pick them out in modern music they must be very similar and are therefore classic and established. I think I need to read a general introduction to classical music to be honest!

I was a bit at sea with the Verdi yesterday though and should probably listen to more of it to see how it all fits together.

Kapsberger: Toccata arpeggiata. I can't tell a lute from a guitar when I listen to a piece like this, but I like it a lot. It is orderly, calm and soothing.

Good post, AliasGrape. I know what you mean.
For what it's worth, I don't hear The Beatles or Adele either when I listen to this. I hear echoes of Bach.

I think what she (Clemency?) means is that the chord progressions in this piece are ones that have become established over time. This piece is basically a bunch of chords where the notes are played separately rather than together. Apparently, you can recognize classical chord progressions in Beatles songs if you analyse them. (I'm not good at that).

I think it was Bach who established what a strong bass line should be, how one note moves to the next and how to arrange the accompanying notes over the bass line in chords. There is a very systematic way of writing harmony and counterpoint in classical music. It has a formula.

I studied music theory and history before, a long time ago now. I'll try and shed some light on things as we go along, if you like!

I enjoyed today’s piece - I can imagine going back to it and having it as lovely background music whilst making dinner for example. I wasn’t profoundly moved by it or anything,
I don’t think it’s that kind of piece (but as we know I’m totally ignorant so may be wrong).

In a way the notes just highlight how totally unmusical and clueless I am. When she says about it being a nod down the centuries and how he’s using the same chords as the Beatles or Adele - I just don’t really get that.
It sounds nothing like the Beatles or Adele and I don’t know what I’m supposed to be hearing to make the comparison. A bit like the first piece where she said without Bach there would be no drum and bass or whatever it was - I’m totally willing to believe that’s true but I also don’t understand what that actually means.

It’s good that the notes are short and quite ‘light’ but I almost wish there was a bit more explanation of the nuts and bolts - I don’t really know what the difference between a concerto and whatever the other ones are, I’m not sure how different ‘movements’ of the same piece are meant to work together, I don’t know what the notations/ numbers mean in the titles of the various pieces. That’s before anything to do with the actual music! I’m sure I’ll pick a bit more up through the year and maybe by hanging around this thread

I found the story very moving and without this book I would never have known that. And I am glad I know that.

But I wasn’t very keen on the piece today.

I've always liked Verdi's Requiem, as I really enjoy the more operatic take on sacred music. However it moved me far more today after reading about the performances in Theresienstadt.

I was very engaged by today's piece, and I agree the story was hugely moving.

So far it's been the pieces with human voices that I've connected with, although I'd like to hear a cello piece.

I think I might have used the wrong word with dissonance. I have no idea of musical terminology!

I looked up Dies Irae and recognised it instantly. What a cracker of an opening! It must be fun to sing and play that.

Oh wow, I absolutely loved today’s. I found it sad and moving and uplifting in parts too. I agree with @MamaNewtNewt in that it is hard to separate it from the story in the notes and I wonder if I would have had the same reaction had I not read the story.

Thank you for the tooth sympathy @whippetwoman - it’s rotten! I hope your hip is a bit better today.

I'm definitely looking this up!

I cheated on today's and listened to the beginning of the Dies Irae too because I really love it. Can't remember ever listening to the Offertorio before, but although it is less showy, I think it is beautiful and has some lovely transcendent moments.

I don't know this requiem. I know Mozart's and Fauré's ones. They are beautiful works. I'll listen to this in full some time.

There isn't any dissonance in this, but the piece ends abruptly because it leads into the next movement without a break. Perhaps you are picking up on that? It's cut off very suddenly.

If you have Apple Music, search for clemency in playlists and @drrjv seems to have created a playlist for the book.

A very moving story. Is this just one part of the requiem mass? I’m guessing it is a part of a longer piece of music.
I actually wasn’t that keen on todays, towards the end it felt a bit dissonant. Perhaps that was the intent?

Verdi: Requiem Mass, Offertorio. I liked this very much. It's a very gentle piece of music. Harmonious voices and sympathetic strings. The story of the prisoners singing this in the concentration camp in Theresienstadt is very moving. That will stay with me, I think.

Today's was rather short!

My favourites so far have been the Beethoven and the French one yesterday. Weirdly I like melancholy and sad songs in general and it appears my taste in classical music is reflected in that.

Sorry about the toothache @AliasGrape - I have managed to hurt my hip, which makes me sound rather elderly but alas I am still in my 40s (just) so am rather grumpy too.

I liked the Corelli today but would have preferred a longer piece so am off to listen to some of the rest. I hope there is some more Corelli further down the line because I do like the style and think there are better ones lurking out there.

I didn’t like today’s particularly, agree it felt like background music and I was a bit bored despite it being so short.

I am in an absolutely vile mood though (toothache) so could be partly to blame.

Catching up and listening again to this week's choices. My tastes incline much more towards earlier music - I love Bach and really like plainsong too, so the Crucifixus and Bingen were very much up my street. Chopin doesn't do much for me - it's pretty but doesn't stir many emotions. The Poulenc however was wonderful; so very very French. It really is very evocative and I can see a million movie images in my head when I hear it.

Today's was great. I'm going to seek out the rest of the work and tidy up my cupboards while I listen.

I didn't love the Corelli. It's the first selection that felt a bit like background music to me. To be fair I did listen to it walking around Tesco (the whole concerto grosso), so perhaps not fair to Corelli.