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Year of Wonder: Classical Music For Every Day (Part Two)

505 replies

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 18/07/2022 09:18

Year of Wonder (Part One)

New thread to accompany the book Year of Wonder by Clemency Burton Hill.

All welcome to join in.

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TheTurn0fTheScrew · 05/12/2022 14:12

The Tchaikovsky I do like - it combines tender romanticism with great verve and joy. Being super-picky I could happily cut the cadenza section, and was relieved when the flutes came back in. I felt like we we back in the piece proper if that makes sense.

Berlioz today was light and lively. The quiet moment towards the end with the woodwinds and harp was especially pretty. I saw the Aurora Orchestra version of this with Mat Baynton as Berlioz on telly as part of the Proms a couple of years back - worth a look on YouTube.

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 05/12/2022 09:52

Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14, 2 Un Bal: Hector Berlioz.

Another old favourite and a trip down memory lane today with this piece. I think this is a cheerful and charming movement from the 'Symphonie Fantastique' which I recommend listening to in its entirety if you don't know it already. It's a very colourful and exciting piece of music. It has been a while since I listened to it, so I will do that now :)

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bibliomania · 04/12/2022 16:13

Somewhat to my surprise, the Tchaikovsky won me over - a big-hearted piece.

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 04/12/2022 09:06

Violin Concerto in D Major Op 35, 1st Mvt: Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky.

An old favourite. I hadn't listened to this for a while and really enjoyed revisiting it. I think it's a fabulous piece of music and white it's technically brilliant, it's got great appeal in its musicality. I think there is a wonderful sense of excitement in it that is sustained from beginning to end. The orchestral tutti when the strings play the main theme is like a great crashing wave and I remember playing it and enjoying the moment.

On reading the notes, perhaps the excitement in the music reflects Tchaikovsky's excitement and joy in his new relationship? It's a shame that it didn't end well.

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bibliomania · 04/12/2022 09:01

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 03/12/2022 21:00

PS - I'm going to ask for Another Year of Wonder for Christmas, and if anyone else fancies meeting on here to continue comparing notes that would be brilliant.

I am also going to try get back to posting more frequently for the rest of the month - I think I make more sense when the pieces are fresher in my mind!

I'm up for it!

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 03/12/2022 21:00

PS - I'm going to ask for Another Year of Wonder for Christmas, and if anyone else fancies meeting on here to continue comparing notes that would be brilliant.

I am also going to try get back to posting more frequently for the rest of the month - I think I make more sense when the pieces are fresher in my mind!

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 03/12/2022 20:58

There's been a LOT of vocal music recently, which is not usually my first choice to listen to.

Holst was more interesting than lots of choral stuff but I wouldn't listen again.
Chopin, nice bit o'tinkly piano. Nice enough, but not earth shattering. The key modulations keep it from being too saccharine.
Monteverdi was very pretty. It's a nice change to have a duet instead of choral vocal music.
McMillan - quite striking, still didn't love it.
Lauridsen - I didn't like the piece of his back in January. This felt more traditional, but wasn't interesting at all.
Saint-Saëns - If we're doing vocal music, then a big fat orchestra supported aria is probably nearer my taste than choral. So this was better than lots of staff from the last few days, but won't be a favourite.
Soler - the traditional harpsichord arrangment wasn't doing it for me, but Pluhar's reworking seemed to have much more verve. Definitely preferred that version.

Favourites for November were Shostakovich, Mahler, Purcell, and Britten - so one choral piece hit the spot!

AliasGrape · 03/12/2022 12:37

Saint-Saëns A beautiful, swooping, romantic and passionate piece. I really loved it.

Foler Gosh this warmed me up on a cold December morning! (Particularly cold here as we are having to keep some windows open due to plastering work - excellent planning/ timing on our part). Made me want to dance.

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 03/12/2022 09:12

Fandango: Antonio Soler

This is absolutely brilliant. I love it. It reminds me of Boccherini's string quintet with guitar ('Fandango') in that it's a similar theme. I'm listening to Christine Pluhar's version (twice in one month! Has Christmas come early?!) and it's fabulous. I love how different instruments come into focus and you never know what will come next. Also, the firey episodes are interspersed with quieter interludes. A very fun, enjoyable piece today. Obviously it will go on the favourites list :)

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bibliomania · 02/12/2022 16:42

AliasGrape · 01/12/2022 22:27

I really loved the Monteverdi - a standout favourite for me.

I thought the Macmillan was beautiful too. The final minute or so I thought was just sublime.

Lauridsen - Lovely too, not quite as special somehow as the last 2, but I did enjoy it.

I can’t believe we’re in December! Despite getting very behind at times, Ive loved reading and listening and am already trying to decide whether I want to just go back and listen/ read all over again from Jan 1st or if I will try the ‘Another Year of Wonder’ follow up.

I'm wondering the same thing, Alias.

I haven't really done justice to the last few pieces, semi-listening while doing something else.

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 02/12/2022 14:11

Edit ta voix tut tut.... * *

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 02/12/2022 11:02

'Mon coeur s'ouvre à ton voix' from Samson and Delilah: Camille Saint-Saëns.

I know this already from a cello adaptation of the piece, but I think this is far better. Fabulous stuff. Sweeping passion at its best. Straight onto the favourites list!

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AliasGrape · 01/12/2022 22:27

I really loved the Monteverdi - a standout favourite for me.

I thought the Macmillan was beautiful too. The final minute or so I thought was just sublime.

Lauridsen - Lovely too, not quite as special somehow as the last 2, but I did enjoy it.

I can’t believe we’re in December! Despite getting very behind at times, Ive loved reading and listening and am already trying to decide whether I want to just go back and listen/ read all over again from Jan 1st or if I will try the ‘Another Year of Wonder’ follow up.

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 01/12/2022 14:29

O Magnum Mysterium: Morten Lauridsen

I really liked the Lauridsen piece in January ('Les Chansons des Roses no. 5') and I like this one too. This is the kind of choral music I like to listen to; balanced, well-blended and undemanding. The unexpected harmonic clang in the middle of the piece gave it a touch of the unexpected and stopped it from being predictable and too safe. Lovely ending too.

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 30/11/2022 10:14

Miserere: James McMillan

I thought this was an awesome piece, as in awe inspiring. I can understand how it could stop you in your tracks if you stumbled across a performance of it.
I did think it had moments of plainsong before reading the notes (go me!) and I thought these moments along with the voices in unison were haunting and very beautiful.

Favourites for the month; Arnalds, Grieg, Bach, Mendelssohn, Pérotin, Villa-Lobos, Purcell, Holst, Monteverdi, MacMillan.

Onwards to December, the last month!

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 29/11/2022 18:55

Yes, I loved the Monteverdi too. It's really gorgeous. I thought the harmonic suspensions in the vocal lines gave it a bit of a bite and kept it interesting. The recording on Spotify is by Christina Pluhar and L'Arpeggiata. They are one of the best discoveries of the year, definitely.

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bibliomania · 29/11/2022 16:08

Unmoved by the Chopin - tinkle, tinkle - but loved today's Pur ti miro, by Monteverdi.. Gorgeous.

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 28/11/2022 21:08

AliasGrape · 28/11/2022 20:59

I enjoy the solo piano pieces too IsFuzzy. I really liked today’s, it was lovely and restful without being nondescript.

Definitely Alias 👌

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AliasGrape · 28/11/2022 20:59

I enjoy the solo piano pieces too IsFuzzy. I really liked today’s, it was lovely and restful without being nondescript.

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 28/11/2022 18:02

Nocturne no. 8 in D flat major, op 27 no. 2: Frédéric Chopin.

I liked this. It's very tranquil. I have grown to like listening to solo piano pieces over the months. Perfect accompaniment to reading, I find :)

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bibliomania · 27/11/2022 16:10

Agree that otherworldly is the word.

AliasGrape · 27/11/2022 14:55

I don’t have Spotify, so it took me a while today to find a version that was harp and female voices as in the notes - I listened to a cello and a male voice version in the meantime. I’m glad I did find a version as it was intended, as it really is different and yes a bit otherworldly. I’m not sure it would be a regular listen but I enjoyed it as something different.

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IsFuzzyBeagMise · 27/11/2022 09:50

'Hymn to the Dawn' from Choral Hymns from the Rig Velda: Gustav Holst.

I really like this. I think it is very eerie and otherworldly and while it's out there, it's still beautiful. The singing is lovely with some really interesting harmonies in the vocal line. The harp is magnificent. It's a brilliant pairing, harp and women's voices. It's very different and unexpected. A definite favourite for this month.

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AliasGrape · 26/11/2022 17:34

I quite liked the Reich for maybe the first 2 minutes, then I got bored. It made me think of Stomp or something (I have never seen Stomp so I have no idea why).

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 26/11/2022 15:41

Schnittke blah - choral - blah - pleasant...for me choral work tends to merge into one unless really striking, like the Britten the other week. It's a blind spot for me I think.

Barber - so beautiful. Such lush layering, the strings seem to sing. I completely agree that it is so very sad that I wouldn't listen to it often, but it is a thing of beauty and feels very timeless.

Today's Reich left me cold. I'm just not clever enough to see this as anything other than noise, and wouldn't listen again.