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.

Heal You: Anna Meredith

I listened to this piece a few times to see if my first impressions of it would change, but no, I don't like it. It meanders along in a gentle way until the halfway point at which it becomes loud, insistent and unpleasant and then it (thankfully) fades away.

I really strongly disliked today’s.
I actually found it uncomfortable to listen to, like you IsFuzzy I did try again a bit later but same response. Anna Meredith sounds great and I’d be interested to listen to something else by her, but definitely not this again.

yeah, I didn't love this either, and wouldn't want to listen again.

Coincidentally I first heard of Anna Meredith on Monday, as one of my DC might be involved in a performance of her body percussion piece HandsFree, so I had a watch of that on YouTube. HandsFree sounds (and looks - it's very visual) more fun.

Today's was also not for me.

Also, I posted on Twitter about how much I loved Zelenka's Miserere tagging CBH and she just re-tweeted me!

[Entirely unconcerned about being outed, don't worry]

That's very cool Welshwabbit! You're still enjoying the Zelenka then

It sounds like a unanimous 'no' on the piece today. I'll look Meredith up and see what else she has done.

Haha Welshwabbit

Huw Edwards once retweeted me. I was beside myself with excitement.

I was rather intrigued by todays and didn’t dislike it. It reminded me of the kind of singing I do in the bath when no one’s in the house. With a bit of mooing thrown in for good measure.

@IsFuzzyBeagMise I tweeted the day after it was on the list, but she says she's not on Twitter much, so I guess it was re-tweeted in a catch up. Although I am still listening to it fairly frequently!

That made me laugh Best

Viola Concerto in G Major, First Movement: Telemann

I'm very fond of this piece as it was the first piece I learned to play on the viola when I started playing it at sixteen.
It highlights the deep, dark tone of the viola beautifully. The music is calm, reflective, serene. I always think of it as a conversation between the viola and orchestra and even in the viola line itself the conversation continues before coming to a resolution.

It's a short concerto for anyone who wants to listen to it in its entirety and it's pleasant to listen to. Very baroque :)

This is lovely. I’m discovering that I like Baroque and I like the viola much more than the violin.

This was indeed lovely and very pleasant to listen to. Made me think of taking a lovely walk by a lake in the sunshine (maybe that’s just what I wish I was doing today instead of work and clean the house!).

I shall listen to the whole thing whilst I crack on with work.

Romanian Folk Dances: Bartok

This was lovely, but very short. I would have liked to listen to more of it. I was confused because I let it run on to the next piece, also a piano piece, which didn't make sense at all.

I saw my 11yo perform the Romanian Folk Dances at the start of the month, in an arrangement with her children's orchestra accompanying a professional violinist (although DC2's instrument was tacit for a good 60% of the time). I wasn't keen especially keen the piece even when it was my own kid on stage . A listen to the original piano scoring hasn't particularly changed my mind.

Interesting, TheTurn0fTheScrew. I think it had potential :) it must have been a lot longer though?

Boulez: Fantasque - Modere

I have listened to this twice to see if I can get something out of this. I just don't think I'm clever enough. I can't find any shape or mood or feelings. I don't really get the Balinese sounds that CBH refers to (I assume she means the percussion???). It's a definite no from me.

It's also a 'no' from me. It sounds experimental and avant garde, but that's it. I don't think there are any Balinese or Japanese influences here. A pity. I think I would have preferred it!

LaClemenzadiTito Overture: Mozart

This is a perfectly nice piece of Mozart.

yup - bright and breezy
can't hate it
don't love it

In the Month of March: Tore Takemitsu

I really like this. I find it very charming. I must look up this composer; I have never heard of him.

Just catching up

Bartok short and sweet, liked.
Boulez awful noise.
Mozart perfectly fine but as background music. Nice is possibly a perfect description for it.
Tore Takemitsu this is lovely and sweet.

Touched by today's story.

@bibliomania

Touched by today's story.

Yes. It makes you wonder how his life might have turned out if he hadn't had that encounter. Maybe he would have become a musician anyway, who knows?

Today's piece was lovely and perfect for springtime.