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.

Tres Piezas, Op 6,1: 'Cuyana': Ginastera

This is an interesting one. Clemency uses 'meandering' in her description which I agree with. It seems to set off in a particular direction, stop in its tracks and set off again. It probably won't be on my favourites list, but I appreciate it all the same. I think there are some lovely moments in it.

Didn't really float my boat. I don't love the piano.

Liked the Milhaud though not especially memorable.

Really enjoyed the Chilcott though there were moments I thought it reminded me of Kylie’s ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ 😂

Mozart Pleasant enough! Maybe I should try the slower one as you say IsFuzzy - I don’t use the Spotify list.

Ginastera - I liked this, couldn’t fully get a handle on it but it was a bit dreamlike I thought

Yes, the Ginestera was rather dream-like.
I can't get you out of my head

Little update. The Chilcott I wasn't bothered about. I liked the melody (definitely shades of Kylie which can't be a bad thing!) but not the arrangement. I should check out different versions.

The Mozart Same as always for me. Nothing to love, nothing to dislike. My ears weren't sophisticated enough to detect the present of a third piano. Perhaps if they were I might have admired it more?

The Ginastera I liked very much. Agree very dreamlike, hard to pin down a structure, but not in a self-consciously tricky way.

Today's piece is Metamorphosen by Richard Strauss. This was interesting. I liked the shifts between the more flowing major key sections in the middle and the more elegiac opening and ending. I found the orchestration quite unusual - there are so many different lines and counterpoints. I wonder why, given this, he didn't score for a full orchestra? I felt like I wanted a French Horn or two at least .

Metamorphosen: R. Strauss

It took me a few attempts to listen to this. I found it rather hard going, I must confess. The contrapuntal texture of the first section made me feel like I was wading through treacle, although I liked the solo lines in the violin and cello which gives interest to the orchestration and lightens it up a little bit. I preferred the more simple, pared back second half. The opening and especially the ending of the piece are lovely.

However, I prefer Richter and 'The Blue Notebooks' that we listened to previously as a piece with a similar intention, so it's unlikely I'll go back to this.

Tannhäuser Overture: Wagner

I played this years ago, so I enjoyed listening to it today. The only pieces by Wagner that I know are this one and the MeisterSinger overture from earlier this year. They are both pleasant to listen to, but they won't be contenders for the favourites list.

Fruhlingsglaube D 686: Schubert

I'm not hugely interested in Lieder, but I thought this was rather lovely.

Wasn't keen on either the Strauss or the Wagner pieces, but loved the Schubert today, so nice!

Piano Concerto no. 2 (larghetto): Chopin

This is our third piano concerto this month and they are all different in character. This one is gentle and expressive with some passionate outbursts. It does seem like a love letter when you think about it.
Poor Chopin, he died young at thirty-nine.

Just catching up. Been a bit busy the last week or so but have an afternoon to catch up.

Les Printemps - Darius Milhaud Grew on me, very pretty.
La Macarenita - I like it (Kylie).
Mozart Piano Concerto - I’ve not been a fan of any of the Mozart we’ve heard so far but I really did like this a lot and thought it was beautiful and elegant.
Ginastera This is also lovely and a bit melancholic in parts.

Metamorphosen: Strauss - Didn’t think I was going to like this but ended up really liking it. Made me think of 1940s films.
Tannhauser Overture - Didn’t mind this but it won’t be on my favourites.
Frülingslaube - Schubert - I liked the tune but couldn’t find a version I liked particularly.
Chopin - Piano Concerto Wasn’t keen.

Tornami a Vagheggiar from 'Alcina': Handel

After hearing this piece performed for the first time, Handel's neighbour wrote; ' I think it's the best he has ever made...I have not words to describe it'.
I would describe it as a cheerful, catchy tune that is easy to hum along to.

I liked the Handel. It makes me feel rather classy having it on in the background, as if I should be arranging flowers and gliding around in a silk dress .

Sounds classy to me Biblio.
I enjoyed this too. I like Handel.

@bibliomania

I liked the Handel. It makes me feel rather classy having it on in the background, as if I should be arranging flowers and gliding around in a silk dress .

à la Mrs Bucket!! Sorry... Bouquet

Ellis Island: Meredith Monk

I really like this piece. As I'm listening to it now, the rain is hammering against the windows keeping time with the music. Lovely. I think that the repetitive motif in the main theme is very reminiscent of Irish music. I don't know if that's the intention of the composer or if my ears are deceiving me, but it ties in with the long-standing relationship between Irish immigrants and Ellis Island.

I have been catching up this afternoon after a few days away. The Wagner, the Handel and the Chopin were fairly meh - I can't remember them even a few hours later.
The Schubert Lied I enjoyed - I usually like his songs, and went with the Benjamin Appl version on the Radio 3 site. Am a little bit in love with him I think.

Ellis Island today I liked very much - very evocative. You can absolutely hear the water.

I liked the Meredith Monk very much. I managed to find snippets of the fil on YouTube which were fascinating- would like to see the whole thing.

Stabat Mater R621: Vivaldi

For anyone on Spotify, the suggested version of this is an adaptation for cello. The original is for voice and strings.

This is really beautiful. Vivaldi at his finest. It's going to the favourites list, for sure.

I’m glad you said that @IsFuzzyBeagMise because I’ve just listened to the cello version and didn’t like it. Will look up some voice versions.

Hi @BestIsWest! You're welcome!

The version on the cello is alright, but the original is sublime :)

Thanks Fuzzy, very useful information! And thanks for keeping the momentum on this thread - I do listen nearly every day but I sometimes find it hard to think of a comment.

Mine is usually I like it/I don’t like it Biblio

That pretty much sums mine up, Best.. Perhaps one day I'll contribute an informed technical comment, but I wouldn't bet a lot of money on it.