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

Loved it too but why so short? I was just getting into it. There seemed to be almost a mathematical formula to it.

Corelli: Concerto Grosso. I love it. It's bright and balanced. 'Largo' as a tempo marking is usually very slow. This is not. It's rather upbeat. This movement is so short though, it's a bit of a tease. I'd to listen to more of it. I'm enjoying the notes in the book. The entries are short, but there are a lot of details that I hadn't known.

I didn’t like the Jessye Norman version either @TheTurn0fTheScrew.

In fact I preferred the cello version to all the vocal ones.

I agree that today's piece was really evocative, and the Frenchest thing ever, but it wasn't especially my cup of tea. I might have chosen the wrong version though. I saw there was one by Jessye Norman, and clicked on that, because Jessye Norman. But I wonder if her voice was maybe a bit too rich and big for the style of song? I will try to check out the recording @BestIsWest has recommended.

I enjoyed the vocal versions of todays!

I appreciated the notes on today's piece - knowing the context really added to it.

Hello everyone,

I loved todays one. Definitely was transported to France. I even think that today was my favourite so far.

I have enjoyed all the pieces so far. I particularly liked the Bruch, so much so that I listened to all of it and realised that I was already familiar with the final movement. I love the choral ones too. I am already a big Beethoven and Bach fan. The Chopin just leaves me lost in admiration that anyone can play that (I am a bad pianist). Not quite so keen on today's, but I enjoyed it too.

I downloaded a sample on the Kindle, but I think I'll end up buying the book.

Bach: Mass in B Minor. I love it. I really like Bach and baroque music in general. I love how he gives every voice an equally important part to play and how they all come together in one uplifting climax.

Chopin: Étude. I admire this piece without being moved by it. It's rather technical.

Hildegard von Bingen: O Virtus Sapientiae. I love it. Beautifully pure, yet soulful. I would listen to more of it.

Beethoven: String Quartet, Cavatina. I love it. Rich, warm, moving. A little gem of a piece.

Antonio Lotti: Crucifixus. I love it. Intense, atmospheric, dramatic. Full of tension. Full of sadness. The last chord is like a welcome release.

Bruch: Violin Concerto no. 1. I love it. Passionate, dramatic, tender. I played the viola part in this one before. There was one phrase that just leaped out at me where all the strings and generally everyone, were playing in unison. Marvelous stuff.

Francis Poulenc: Les Chemins de l'amour. I love it. Charming and uplifting. This is a cello piece. I would like to play this. I might transcribe it for viola :)

Please may I join? I have been listening too and really enjoying the experience. I actually really liked the piece today. I am listening to the Spotify list which seems to be good.

I don't really listen to classical music although I did more as a child as my parents were big listeners, so this it a good education for me. I went through a Classic FM phase when the Today program got too much and did enjoy it. I think I prefer the Baroque music such as the Bach and I loved the Hildegard Von Bingen, which is early. The Lotti was good too and I've gone back for another listen. Those have been my favourites but I am genuinely loving this process.

Place-marking to look into this later on.
This sounds wonderful.
I used to play in several amateur orchestras when I was younger. I play viola and violin. I love most classical music.

I listened to a few vocal versions too and I think I preferred the strings. Of the vocal pieces I much preferred the Sabine Devieilhe, Alexandre Tharaud version (on YouTube) - it seemed less fussy and more French although how on Earth did she hit that last note?

PiglingBlonde I have deep envy of anyone who can sing well, it must bring so much pleasure.

I really enjoyed today’s piece too, and definitely felt transported to France. This one felt very ‘accessible’ somehow - like I could connect with it more than yesterday’s for example.

I don’t have Spotify - I’m searching each piece in turn on either Amazon music or YouTube. There’s obviously a few different versions come up (or in the case of Amazon often none as I only have the free version) and I find it hard to know which to choose and presumably this might make a big difference to my enjoyment of the piece. I don’t know enough to know which are likely to be the best or the most authentic or whatever.

I listened to various versions of today’s actually - two vocals, a piano solo and one on strings. All lovely.

I’m not musical at all and don’t really have the vocabulary but I do wonder how much the musician/ version affects the piece. So say in popular music if someone does a cover of a song, it’s often very different - they can mess around with the arrangement, tempo, use different instruments or make it acapella, add a rap - whatever. I don’t know how much this happens in classical music - say two different pianists were playing a piece of Chopin, assuming they were equally talented how much difference would we hear in their two versions?

I've been listening and have just caught up. I'm a singer (good amateur) so I know some of the choral pieces like Crucifixus quite well and I have sung today's piece before. I found the strings rather than singing really evocative and interesting. I loved the Hildegard Von Bingen and Beethoven.

Liked todays. I think I would have known it was French even if the book hadn’t told me. I can almost hear it being played on accordions.
I liked the switch from melancholy to uplifting.

I listened to it again.

I am fascinated by our different responses to the same pieces. I think I love that more than the music!

Ooh I liked todays very cinematic. I might have a relisten to the last 7 each weekend to see how memorable they are.

Today's was another piece I'm familiar with. I have it on Ray Chen's The Golden Age, but will admit to frequently skipping past it to get to the gorgeous quartets on the same album.

But I tried again, for the sake of the book and the thread. It's fine, but I don't love it. I think it feels similar to the Brahms Violin Concerto ,which I prefer, and which feels more virtuosic (is that the word??) and explosive. In the Bruch my favourite sections were actually the tuttis, which I am guessing is not supposed to be the point of a concerto.

Yes, I think a second listen is a good idea. I might do them all again later..

I have to go back to days 1-4 and listen to them this evening - I am a big fan of Hildegard of Bingen. The In Our Time episode about her is fascinating. And I really like plainsong and choral music, as evidenced by the fact I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday's. DP - not a fan - admitted on the second listen that it was "better than ok".

I didn't get it. I couldn't see the shape of it or something. The solution is probably in becoming more familiar with it, but I'm not very enticed.

Another one who liked rather than loved today’s. I don’t think I actually do love violins that much.

Although I tend to listen to the pieces again in the evening and often appreciate them more then somehow, I think I see the first listen as a task/ assignment and maybe don’t let it wash over me enough.

I liked rather than loved todays. I found I wanted it to go places that it didn’t although I suppose I should embrace the unexpected.
Got to say the technical virtuosity of the violins was amazing. Must be awesome to be able to play an instrument so well.