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

[MamaNewtNewt]

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.

I know today's piece from hearing it often. I like it a lot. It's flamboyant, but has a wistful side; many contrasting moods as Alias said. Your description of 'hoedown' cracked me up, Alias but I agree with you! Just before the hoedown, three quarters of the way through, there is a melody of nine notes long which you can hear often in the context of someone playing their tiny violin in cartoons. Did anyone notice it? It is always funny when you recognise excerpts like this that are lifted out of classical music and used in popular culture. Overall, an enjoyable listen today.

Libertango Astor Piazzolla

I loved this. I love tango in general and this was great. I listened to various versions and some very much better than others, one I really liked was arranged for trumpet, played by Alison Balsam at Last Night of the Proms.

A friend of my aunt’s married an Argentinian tango teacher/ composer/ musician, they were both in their 60s I think at the time. They live quite an unconventional life but are apparently very happy, he composed and recorded an album inspired by her!

I love this piece too. I'm not keen on the percussive instrument at the start of the Spotify version, but it really picks up after that.

I bought a book of tangos last year which I really enjoy playing now and again.

Enjoyed the tango and thanks for the Alison Balsom recommendation - I’m growing increasingly fond of the trumpet.
I also enjoyed the Ksenija Sidorova accordion version- she’s a joy to watch.

Very enjoyable.

I absolutely loved the first and final parts of Zelenka's Miserere on the Spotify playlist. All the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. I had never heard of him (or anything by him) before, which feels almost criminal. My favourite discovery from this list so far.

Yes! I listened to all parts in one go. I totally agree, the first movement is wonderful and I love the return of the theme in the final part.

I hadn't heard of Zelenka either, but this is the kind of music that I would love to play again.

I loved today’s. Definitely felt urgent and quite thrilling.

I liked the Zelenka but it went on a bit (Philistine that I am).

Today's was Pale Hands I loved Beside the Shalimar - I'm sure Bertie Wooster refers to it at some point so I'm pleased to have heard it. A proper period piece.

I really liked Kashmiri Love Song. I thought it was very charming.

still listening daily, but neglecting to post.
The Sarasate I wasn't bothered by - felt flashy at the expense of being enjoyable, bit like Paganini always feels to me.
Loved the Zelenka - I found this oddly sexy for a piece of 300-odd year old sacred music.
The Kashmiri love song I like very much. However I didn't get much in the way of kashmiri vibes other than in the introductory bars.

Today's was Tarantella "La Carpinese". Not massively my cup of tea, or something I could see myself listening to regularly, but certainly very evocative - I felt parachuted to an Andalusian square in the height of summer.

I listened to a version Kashmiri Love Song with piano and a female vocalist which I didn’t really like (though could totally see featuring in a film set int be period - someone performing in a drawing room perhaps), then found Julian Lloyd Weber’s cello version which I did enjoy.

I really enjoyed the Tarantella and loved feeling transported to Southern Europe, someone hot and sultry with the scent of olive trees in the air. Which considering I spent my evening cleaning up the results of a toddlers upset tummy, I very much needed, and it will have to do until I can physically transport myself to such a place.

(As an added bonus the version I listened to on YouTube led straight into the same group performing the Landi one from last month so
I’ve got ‘bisogne morire’ going round my head again 👍 )

*someWHERE hot and sultry, though if someone fitting that description wanted to come along that would be very nice too!

@AliasGrape

*someWHERE hot and sultry, though if someone fitting that description wanted to come along that would be very nice too!

Ha ha ha

Tarantella 'La Carpinese

I really like this. A slightly slow and strange start on the Spotify version, but when it gets into the swing of things, it's a real joy. It reminds me of 'Bisogne Morire' too, which is brilliant as I loved that. I must look up that group again.

It's passionate and intense and it does transport you away to another place entirely; it's very mediterranean.

Good luck with the toddler's upset tummy Alias! I hope it's not too bad.

someone hot and sultry

Has to be a Freudian slip there, Alias!

I enjoyed the Tarantella. It's really refreshing to be exposed to something that is quite different from my normal listening.

Go Silently and Stealthily: Handel

This piece seems a bit mundane after the excitement and passion of La Tarantella, however it is pleasant to listen to. I recognise it. It must be popular.
I think reading the notes helped to appreciate this and to get the sense of it. The French horn is excellent in it.

String Quintet in C Major (Adagio): Schubert

This is a longer piece than our usual offerings! It's excellent though, and worth while giving it time.

Schubert packed so much into his short life. I don't know his songs too well, but I think his chamber music is brilliant; it transmits such warmth to the listener.

Just catching up. I haven’t been too keen on anything this week although I did like the Handel yesterday. I agree that the French horn was great (though I wouldn’t have known it was a French horn).
I do like Bryn Terfel too who was singing on the version on the Spotify playlist.
I was left a bit bored by todays but was doing something else at the same time so zoned out. Might try to listen again later.

fun tale about today's piece, although about the scherzo (third movement) rather than the Adagio.

I thought it would be a pretty piece to walk into at our wedding (CD, not live quartet sadly) and have during the signing of the register. So we dropped it in at the register office a few days before, carefully labelled with our names, date and time of ceremony, and track number.

Just before the ceremony the registrar said that they'd been having some trouble with the CD player, but all was sorted now, saying "it's a strings piece, isn't it?" We assumed that they had our CD. But there had been a muddle-up, and we ended up getting married to the sound of a lite-classical medley of Neil Diamond's greatest hits .

Haha TheTurnOfTheScrew that’s a great story.

I had similar when DD was born and DH brought the wrong tape from the car. Instead of a carefully chosen list of favourite songs I ended up giving birth to Queen and ‘Don’t Stop MeNow’.

Hilarious stories Turn0fTheScrew and BestIsWest

Love those stories @TheTurn0fTheScrew and @BestIsWest

I didn’t love the last two days. Tomorrow is a new day and all that!

And you got married anyway, Turn?. You didn't have much choice about calling off the proceedings, Best.

Didn't care for today's or yesterday's. Just didn't connect.

Nocturne in B Flat: John Field

I thought this was lovely; short and sweet, simple but beautiful. I recognise the piece. It is played often, but I assumed it was by Chopin.

Sending greetings to everyone on this thread on St. Patrick's Day ☘️