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.

Today's Vivaldi is beautifully expressive, and he always has such strong melodies. Really liked this one, and will take some time to listen to the rest of the piece when it won't have to compete with the strains of the Mario theme music coming from the next room.

@bibliomania

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.

No bother at all Bibliomania!

I'm wondering if I'm getting a bit repetitive at this stage, but I'll keep going anyway because I'm enjoying myself

Definitely keep going, Fuzzy!

Yes, please keep going IsFuzzyBeagMise

You are too nice

Tailleferre: Valse Lente

This is such a clever, whimsical piece. I really like it. It seems to me that Tailleferre has turned the traditional waltz upside down here.

It starts in the usual way, but an increasing dissonance creeps in during the second phrase, more so in the third, where I think she uses chord progressions in fifths (that was against the rules in standard harmony). Then it breaks down and falters but picks itself up and tip toes off to conclude in an entirely new key.

The album on Spotify by the artist who plays this piece is worth listening to, by the way.

Also, Tailleferre sounds amazing, playing the piano and composing up to the age of ninety-one!

I expected to like this, as I was reading up on Le Six, but it didn't grab me TBH. I listened to a few of Tailleferre's other pieces out of curiosity, and it seems that she uses dissonance pretty often - I fear I'm just not grown-up enough to enjoy her stuff!

Oedipus; Music For A While: Purcell

I was wondering if we were ever going to hear music by Purcell. His music is wonderful. This piece is gorgeous and has such a haunting quality. I love the version on Spotify; the voice is beautiful. I looked up the text as I wanted to know all the words.

Purcell died very young at thirty-six. It is rumoured that he came home late one night and his wife refused to let him in and he caught a chill. Or he may have caught tuberculosis. Poor man either way. Another great composer gone too soon!
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For anyone who fancies something a little different (or indeed a compare and contrast exercise), L'Arpeggiata have recorded a version of this with improv clarinet, and jazz piano instead of the ground bass. I have the CD album, but I think the whole audio is available on YouTube. I think a few critics were horrified, but I like it.

Oh! Thanks TheTurn! I'll look it up. It sounds interesting!

If you're on Spotify, there is a playlist called classical meets jazz, or something similar, that is worth listening to if you fancy something different. It's a very cleverly done; classic pieces with a jazz twist.

I love the version by L'Arpeggiata. It's still a beautiful piece of music.

Khovanshchina: Dawn on the Moskva River: Mussorgsky

This is a colourful, atmospheric piece of music. Lots of twittering woodwind and sympathetic strings at the start. The oboe comes in with the theme, peaceful and expressive. There is a cloud on the horizon in the form of strident brass and percussion and angry strings. This soon passes by and peace is restored. The theme comes back, taken up by flutes and then solo clarinet and what a lovely conclusion on the French horn. A peaceful start to the day.

I wasn’t fussed on the Tailleferre or the Purcell. The dog has taken against the Mussorgsky and barks all the way through it so I will try again later when I find my headphones.

Managed to listen again and thought it was rather beautiful.

Danza Gaya: Madeleine Dring

This is a fun, charming and enjoyable piece. If you are looking for the promised oboe from the notes, you need to look outside of Spotify. While it's good, we have been hearing a lot of solo piano pieces and it's lovely to hear oboe with accompanying piano for a change. There is a good version on You Tube.
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Yesterday's Mussorgsky was lovely, especially the delicate, pretty woodwinds at the start.

I didn't get on with today's piece at all. I'm a huge fan of the oboe, and was quite excited that it was going to be showcased today. However the piece didn't show much of the beautiful richness of tone that I love. At first I wondered if it was the Latin rhythm wasn't a great match for a very typically classical instrument, but I really love the oboe solos in Marquez's Danzons so I don't think it's that. I think it was just very lightweight, and the melody irritated me.

So much to catch up on! I’m doing so badly at making time every day.

The Strauss was unsettling and sad. Liked it more than I expected.
Wagner was indeed quite stirring
Schubert - lovely
Chopin - I didn’t like the first Chopin piece from the book but this I enjoyed, very romantic
Handel Pleasant enough
Monk wanted to like but didn’t particularly
Vivaldi - gorgeous
Tailleferre Enjoyed this, as I have all from ‘Les Six’ so far
Purcell lovely
Mussorgsky I think I could have said this was a prelude without the notes, it definitely feels like the start of something. It’s lovely, evocative.
Dring - Quite enjoyed it.

I realise that’s not a particularly interesting post for anyone else 🙈 Hardly insightful music criticism but I’m a completist at heart, can’t help myself!

How Sweet the Moonlight from The Merchant of Venice: Jocelyn Pook.

I think this is really beautiful. I was wondering what I was listening to before reading the notes, as it seemed like a Renaissance piece but the strings sound contemporary. When I read that it was from a film score, it made sense. I've been listening to the other tracks from the album; it is really good. It's very cleverly done and enjoyable to listen to.

This such a lovely piece, really enchanting. The singer is the same as in the Purcell recording the other day. I wonder if I'm in the minority if I list this one as a favourite for the month, but if I am, I'm definitely in my happy place :)

I think it might be a favourite for me too Fuzzy It was very lovely, and quite restful to my Covid addled brain!

Get well soon, AliasGrape!

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor ( 4th movement, Presto): Beethoven.

I hadn't heard this for a while and I enjoyed listening to it today. Satisfying.

Today’s was certainly triumphant. I see what Clemency means about hearing the influence on film music, the opening section of this movement particularly. It’s familiar as I’m sure I’ve heard it many times before without particularly knowing where. I prefer the more gentle stuff but I bet this would be great live - we go to an outdoor battle proms most years and I’m sure this features, though it’s my drunkest day of
the year usually so I couldn’t say with any certainty. Not been since before I was pregnant thanks to Covid, hopefully the next
time I go I might appreciate the music in a slightly more informed way!

I wasn’t wild about yesterday. I liked the tune but didn’t much like the singing style.

The Beethoven is what I think of as ‘proper classical music’. It’s great. Really pompous but uplifting at the same time.

Valse Triste from Kuolema: Sibelius.

I know the orchestral version of this piece but I hadn't heard the piano version before. I like both, but prefer the orchestral version because of having played it before.
I like this waltz a lot; its beautifully melancholic opening and then its more cheerful development and then it swings in and out between joy and sadness at quite a dizzying rate before a quiet, quick conclusion.

I really liked the Pook piece and I can see how it would really add to the atmosphere of the file. The Beethoven - while I'm not the biggest fan of the immense orchestral set-pieces, I can appreciate that it was stimulating stuff. Haven't got onto today's yet.