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

I really liked the opening bassoon solo on Rite of Spring. It's worth a look at the ballet on Youtube, as it's beautifully bizarre.

Today's piece is the Overture from Candide by Leonard Bernstein. I found this a little frantic and full-on. I wanted a bit more light and shade.

The Rite of Spring, Part One, Adoration: Stravinsky.

This is a strange one. I thought the excerpt chosen for today was a bit short, so I listened to the work in full. Not recommended. It's not very likeable. It's rather tiresome. One of the parts, the fifth one, reminded me of the music from the original series of Star Trek. That's a bit of a compliment actually:)

I liked the Beach and the Saint-Saens.

I felt I’d had enough of piano this month but then the Bach came along. A great foot tapper. Love it.

I hadn't realised it was in 'Babe' :) I recognised it as it's played very often on the radio.

Agree that the Saint Saens was lovely - really intricate layering of the organ with the orchestra. I like the maestoso movement as well, not least because it's featured in the film Babe, for which I have a very soft spot 😬.

The Bach is as beautiful and clever as everything he does. I love how light it feels, and yet repeated listens shows the complexity of the counterpoint.

French Suite no. 5 in G Major, Gigue: Bach.

A lively gigue, bright and sparkling. Very enjoyable.

I got my new earphones and wow, listening to the Saint-Saëns is so much better. It opens with the organ and it's like a gentle presence in the background all the way through. The woodwind interacts beautifully with it too. It's just gorgeous. A beautiful piece of music.

Symphony no. 3 in C Minor 'Poco Adagio': Saint-Saëns.

I'm having trouble hearing the organ in this movement, but I don't have earphones right now, so perhaps I'm not hearing it for that reason. I do think this movement is lovely; the writing for strings is sublime. I think it would be very satisfying to play.

Moving on to the fourth movement, there is definitely an organ here (!). I recognise this from hearing it played very often on the radio. I would love to be in the middle of this one. It sounds amazing.

Beethoven - Actually this was rather a love for me, well parts of it were anyway, and I wasn’t at all expecting to say that going in. I felt like the orchestral bit was very sort of measured, with each new idea introduced in quite an orderly way, and then there was just this mad piano running through the middle of it going in all sorts of directions. (With my usual apologies for not having the right musical vocabulary to explain myself!) I liked it less in the final third or so though somehow.

Cardoso Definitely evocative, but like very lovely background music rather than something that inspired any great feeling in me.

Bolcom This didn’t really do anything for me - it was so short I couldn’t really get a handle on it before it was over. It was just a bit nothingy.

Actively disliked the Bolcomb. I thought the melody was dull and grating. I didn't pick up any lineage whatsoever to Strauss or Schubert, whose songs I usually really enjoy.

Cabaret Songs 'Waitin': Bolcom.

This is charming, really sweet. I would like to discover more songs like this. I haven't heard of Bolcom before.

That's a good point, Cote about Lloyd Webber. * *It gives pause for thought. Bolcom has an extensive back catalogue of classical works.

I found the Beethoven piece dull and enjoyed the understated beauty of Milonga.

I don't see how Waitin is classical music. And if it is, why Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical productions are not.

Milonga:Jorge Cardoso - I don't know that this is something I would listen to regularly, but my goodness it was evocative. I'm sure I'd like it better if listening with the sun on my face and a fat glass of Malbec in my hand.

Milonga:Jorge Cardoso

I love this. I would love to hear more by Cardoso.

music as a magic carpet...definitely .

I thought the Beethoven was very* *impressive and there were moments that did stop me in my tracks, but it was a like rather than a love.

Piano Concerto no. 5 in E flat major op. 73 "Emperor" 1: Allegro - Beethoven

Shamefully I was bored. The Classical period is definitely my least favourite generally. The sections with just the orchestra and no piano were particular low points. I think the Ravel piano concerto earlier this year offered far more by way of interest in the orchestral sections.

Still listening daily, but need a catch-up on posting.

Alice Mary Smith I thought was meh. Couldn't remember a thing about it 10minutes after listening.

Clara Schumann was great. Bold and powerful without ever becoming overblown

Leoncavallo wasn't my thing, but agree any excuse to hear Pavarotti is worth it.

The Dutilleux I liked very much indeed. It may not have the intricate complexity of Bach, but I enjoyed the calm simplicity. There's an orchestral version on youtube which IMO adds some colour.

The Beach is right up my street. I love chamber music from this era. The melody is beautiful. One for the playlist, definitely.

Another catch up.

Schuman I didn’t love this but I think it could possibly grow on me. I liked the contrasts.

Leoncavallo Pavarotti for me again today. Appreciated the context given in the notes which helped me to get a handle on the piece. Won’t be making my favourites list but you can’t argue with that voice.

Dutilleix Still too much of a musical dunce to say how successful the homage was, I don’t know Bach himself well enough yet to be able to discern his influence. I found the piece a bit boring honestly.

Beach I really enjoyed this. Gosh she must have felt so stifled being ‘not allowed’ to perform or take lessons. I felt like I could hear some of that yearning in the piece but could just be influenced by the notes!

Welcome, Cote. I'm thoroughly enjoying the book and the experience of a daily listen.

Welcome to the thread CoteDAzur!

Romance for Violin and Piano Op. 23: Amy Beach.

I like this a lot and I think it could grow on me the more I listen to it. The main theme is lovely and there's a gorgeous ending. It's a good stand-alone piece for violin and piano. I would be interested in hearing other works by Beach. What a difficult time she had too with a repressive parent and husband.

Hi everyone. I saw this book on Kindle Deals today and thought I would join the thread.

Starting from a couple of days ago...

Clara Schumann - Scherzo no. 2 in C minor - I wasn't a fan of this piece, but I do admire this composer. She was a child prodigy and the most famous concert pianist of her time with an international career over 60 years. She was also Robert Schumann's wife. As it turns out, both were huge Bach fans and in fact wrote in their marriage diary that they spent the first two weeks of their marriage studying the fugues in Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier

Leoncavallo - Vesti la Giubba - Emotional aria, although musically not very interesting until its well-known end.

Dutilleux - Homage à Bach - I'm a big fan of J S Bach and while I found this a cute little melody, it had none of the amazing counterpoint and the firm sense of direction that one finds in every Bach piece, from his shortest melody on The Little Book of Anna Magdalena Bach to his grand masterpieces such as St Matthew Passion. I don't blame Dutilleux in the sense that he couldn't be expected to even approach Bach's genius, but he could have at least attempted a melody on the left hand rather than just chords.

Amy Beach - Romance for violin and piano, op 23 - This didn't rock my world but I found the composer's story interesting. Perhaps she could have been a Clara Schumann if allowed to live her music.

'Au Gré des Ondes' V: Hommage à Bach: Henri Dutilleux.

I really like this piece. Definitely an hommage to Bach, but pared back with a lightness of touch and great clarity.

I have seen Pagliacci live. It was the first proper opera I saw live, together with Cavalleria Rusticana (they are usually performed together) and yes, it was wonderful (Welsh National Opera about five years ago).

I have a soft spot for this anyway as it is a favourite of DH (he used to have a tape of Pavarotti arias with it on and it was always on in the car back in the day when cars had cassette players). That and The Gypsy Kings.

Pagliacci/Act One 'Vesti la Giubba': Leoncavallo.

I think this excellent. Really good singing, high drama indeed. I always think it's so much better when you know the context and the words when listening to opera. I imagine this must be wonderful to see as a live performance.

I also liked the double basses trailing off at the close of the aria. Very atmospheric.

Another big catch up from me.

Schumann Piano Quintet - pleasant and enjoyable. I think this will be a grower.

Fanny Mendelssohn - lovely, soft and mellow, made me think of a meandering stream.

Faure - Beautiful but drifted into the background

Falconieri - really cheerful and lively. Liked this a lot. It reminded me of the Caccini we had earlier in the year which I became a bit of obsessed with. Love a bit of Baroque.

Grieg. This was ok, a bit boring. I usually like Grieg but am I getting pianoed out?

Not mad about the Mahler.

Alice Mary Smith. I like this. Will listen again. Agree about Last Night of the Proms.