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.

Ambre: Nils Frahm

I really like this. It is beautiful, delicate, wistful. Perfectly melancholic. It reminds me of the soundtrack to the film 'Amélie' by Yann Tiersen which I loved when it came out. I must look that up again and I definitely want to listen to more music by Nils Frahm.

It's nearly time to think of the favourites for March!

Got a few to catch up on:

Bartok very short, listened to a few more of these too. Not massively my thing but quite nice
Boulez - eh?
Listened to a few clips on YouTube which all had this title but were all quite different. All were odd though. One sounded like a horror film soundtrack. I’m not sure which, if any, the book refers to.
Mozart yes fine
Toru Takemitsu what a story and a lovely piece, very calming. Made me think of holidays. I let it run to the next piece ‘To the Island’ which was lovely too. Definitely adding these to my playlist.

Today’s Nils Frahm made me think of a beautifully dressed couple saying goodbye in a film. Probably at a train station. No idea why but that’s the little story that popped into my head whilst listening

Nice image AliasGrape. I like it.

Boulez...eh who knows what that was about. Maybe Boulez does.

Delius: Koaga, La Calinda

I found this enjoyable to listen to. It reminded me of music that you might hear at the Proms. Pleasant background music. The main theme also reminded me of music that would accompany a TV series from the 1970s or 80's. A cheerful tune that you would find yourself humming along to, the more you hear it.

Very much liked Ambre by Nils Frahm - a beautiful tune with dips into sadness, just my sort of thing.

I also enjoyed the Delius and @IsFuzzyBeagMise the first part of it reminded me of the theme tune to Miss Marple!

@Welshwabbit

Very much liked Ambre by Nils Frahm - a beautiful tune with dips into sadness, just my sort of thing.

I also enjoyed the Delius and @IsFuzzyBeagMise the first part of it reminded me of the theme tune to Miss Marple!

Ha ha @Welshwabbit!! That could be it I love Miss Marple!

Liked Amber. Didn't understand why today's was said to show an African-American influence - I couldn't hear it.

@bibliomania

Liked Amber. Didn't understand why today's was said to show an African-American influence - I couldn't hear it.

I don't think it showed any African-American influence bibliomania. I heard nothing either.

Glad it wasn't just me, Fuzzy!

It's confusing when Clemency makes a statement like that and it doesn't apply to the piece we're listening to!

I don't know Delius very well, but the description of his music sounded good in the notes. I might look him up and see if I can hear those African-American influences.

Oh Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht: Bach

There is nothing like music by Bach to warm the cockles of your heart and this is very heart-warming.

March Favourites: Prokofiev, Libertango, Miserere, Tarantella, Monteverdi, Mendelssohn, Richter, Ambre.

Onwards to April!

Liked Ambre - a nice gentle piece.

Absolutely adored the Delius. I think I can definitely hear some Africa-American influences but that might be because I’ve read the notes and am imagining I can. I get the film/ tv theme tune reference too. I accidentally found myself listening to part of a Delius opera yesterday and enjoyed that too so I might look for more if his work.

Johann Sebastian Mighty Bach Just gorgeous. I particularly like the brass instruments (French horn? I can’t tell) interacting with the voices and weaving in and out.

These last three have made it onto my March favourites along with the Telemann and the Mendelssohn.

Of the last couple of days I found the Frame very delicate and beguiling. I loved the Delius. I am unfashionably fond of light music, which I know can veer off into the cheesy or saccharine, and I get the sense that Delius would have been an influence of many of the light or cinematic composers. And obviously you can't knock a bit of JSB.

Favourites for March have been Bizet, Ravel, Zelenka, Woodforde-Finden, and Richter. The Woodforde-Finden has been real grower and while it didn't have instant impact I've been drawn back to it a few times.

Ah yes. The Kashmiri Love Song. That's gorgeous.
It should be on my favourites list too :)

Piano Concerto No. 1 (Tchaikovsky)

Probably the most familiar of all the pieces so far. We’ll all have seen the clips of couples running towards each other across the beach to the sound of this.
Lovely and majestic but also playful, makes me to learn to play the piano.

*want to learn

Yes, I agree. This is a magnificent work, the whole length and breadth of it. The first movement alone has everything in it; it's majestic, dramatic, passionate, but also tender, romantic, playful, wistful. The opening bars are sublime.

I hadn't heard it in a long time and I enjoyed listening to it again. It's hard to believe that the virtuoso guy, Rubenstein, didn't like it when he heard it at first, but perhaps it was new and startling for it's time.

I didn't love this. For some reason I find Big Piano stuff a bit-off putting, and actively disliked the introductory section with the octaves at the start. The more delicate part in the middle with the flute echoes I liked more, but then it got all busy again at the end of the development section. I watched a Lang Lang performance on Youtube, and despite not loving it he was utterly captivating.

Love the Tchaikovsky piano concerto, one of my all time favourites, and I haven't listened to it for a long time - what a treat.

Unexpectedly loved the Tchaikovsky. Somehow not familiar to me at all.

Today's piece is the allegro from Beethoven's Spring Sonata.

Clean and bright, but still smooth and lyrical; this was a lovely way to start the morning. It has a clear shape and melody, but still lots of interesting detail. The perfect accompaniment to watching the daffodils waft in the garden (bucolic view marred slightly by my laundry on the line but you can't have everything).

Don’t mind the Beethoven. Lively and pretty.

I really enjoyed listening to the Beethoven sonata, first movement. I agree with TheTurn's description of the music. It has the form and structure of a classical piece, but there is a lot of character here. The music is infused with warmth and brightness, which is very satisfying to listen to.
It was a lovely bright Spring day here too. A good day for drying :)

Intermezzo: Brahms

This is a quiet, sombre, thoughtful piece of music and I enjoyed listening to it this morning.