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.

Loved the Brahms - tender, wistful, dream-like. I very much agree with CBH in that I don't get the sneeriness towards him. He might not have been the most progressive of composers, but I seem to connect emotionally to his stuff, which is what I'm after.

Didn't connect with either the Beethoven or the Brahms. I am clearly a Philistine. I'm just surprised there has been so much I've liked.

Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, Lento: Górecki

This is an utterly beautiful piece of music that stopped me in my tracks today. Those opening bars are sublime and I love the reprise with the soprano later in the piece.
This music really resonates with what is happening in Ukraine these days and the composer's words in the notes

I found the Brahms a bit meh, but really like the Gorecki piece from today.

Another mammoth catch up from me after a hectic couple of days and then a family wedding.

Delius - very enjoyable, I definitely understand those who said it felt like a tv theme but that didn’t stop me liking it!

Bach Beautiful

Tchaikovsky Felt epic - swooping and soaring. I think I like my pieces a little softer but this was still very wonderful. I think I need to revisit when not on a rushed catch up listen!

Beethoven - I thought this was lovely at the very start then got a bit frantic for my liking. This is probably more a reflection of my still hungover state than on Beethoven. I liked the calmer/ quieter sections very much.

Brahms - Lovely. Much more suited to my mood and general sorry state today. I liked its quiet reflectiveness.

Gorecki - Really arresting. Agree with IsFuzzy that it particularly resonates at the moment. I’d never heard of this composer and would like to hear more.

This was not the best run on pieces to have to catch up on altogether as they averaged at about 10 mins or so each, I was hoping for a couple of quickies 😂 They definitely merit a slightly less hurried appreciation so I will try to revisit over the next few days too.

Fanfare for the common man: Copland

I like this. It's big, bold and bright; full of hope and optimism.

Brahms ok, nice piano piece, background.

Gorecki oh wow, such a beautiful piece.

Fanfare for the Common Man

Being a seventies teenager I know this of course from watching Emerson, Lake and Palmer Live from the Montreal Olympic Stadium version on Top of The Pops in the summer of 1977.

I do love this, it’s magnificent and majestic and I am off to relive my teenage years by watching the ELP version.

Two pieces I know from yesterday and today. The Gorecki is sublime, haunting, sombre, and still hopeful.

I hate the Copeland so much I am bringing a proverbial note from my mum asking me to be excused from Year of Wonder today.

@TheTurn0fTheScrew that made me laugh.

The Gorecki. Holy fuck. I've never heard anything like it.

The Copland reminded me of Also Sprach Zarathustra. Which is a compliment.

Symphony no. 101 in D Major ('The Clock'), Second Movement, Andante: Haydn.

I already know this and I really like it. It's very charming and sedate, but it also has character. I love the outbursts in the minor key. Overall, it's very pleasant to listen to. Nice and easy after the tension and drama of the past two days.

Today's isn't for me - I'm not one for the big orchestral pieces, it seems.

Walking the Dog: Gershwin

I like this! It's a fun, quirky piece of music and a very pleasant interlude on our list of classical pieces.

The Copeland did nothing for me.
Haydn - felt very measured and ‘correct’ if that makes sense. But pleasant to listen to.
Gershwin - Im familiar with this one, often play this for DD when she wants something to dance to and I can’t face another round of sleeping bunnies or incy wincy spider - she’s a fan too!

the Haydn for me was just a bit classical by numbers I'm afraid. nothing offensive but entirely unmemorable.

Preferred the Gershwin - I like a lot of the jazz-influenced stuff of this ear.

era, not ear

love the typo, TheTurn!

The Prokofiev symphony from last month is a parody of this kind of classical symphony and if you listen to it, it would definitely remind you of today's.

today's choice is Printemps by Darius Milhaud.
I really liked this. The violin melody reminded me a lot of The Lark Ascending which IMO is a good thing. I thought it had a similar folk-ish, pastoral vibe, gentle yet soaring. I don't think I've heard of Milhaud before, so will definitely explore more of his stuff.

This piece by Milhaud is fresh, bright and interesting. Modern in a good way. I really like it.

La Macarenita: arr. Bob Chilcott

I really like this. It's very sweet and charming. I love the ending; it's snappy! I like to take a trip outside the classical music scene and delve into folk or jazz. It's refreshing.

Really enjoyed today's piece, so refreshing

Yesterday and today - nice enough, didn't find them memorable.

Concerto for Three Pianos in F Major: Mozart

One piano is good. Three pianos is really good!
Actually, I have to admit that I wouldn't have spotted that, but this is a very pleasant piece to listen to.

I've just noticed that the wrong movement is on the Spotify list. Clemency is talking about the first movement (Allegro) and the one on Spotify is the slow one (Adagio).

This is classic Mozart; very articulate, very elegant, very poised. There is a gentleness to the slow movement which I thought was lovely. I prefer this movement to the first one.

I suppose I may as well listen to the third movement now and finish it off!