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.

I love the Prelude by Abel. It reminds me of the Cello Suites by Bach and the first Prelude in G Major, similar arpeggiated chords.
I love how the viol had a carved face as a scroll. I wish they had been kept for string instruments :)

Haven't been on for a while and too many to catch up with. I really liked I Lie. Also liked the Franck (particularly the last part). And I loved today's. I really agreed with Clemency's write-up too. It felt like a massage in musical form.

The Lang was a bit eerie. It was interesting to listen to but I don't expect it to become the soundtrack to my days. The Lizst and Abel were both pleasant.

Mercy: Max Richter.

This is beautiful and profound; I love it. Hilary Hahn's tone is amazing on this recording, especially at the beginning. It has gorgeous depth.

One of the highlights of this playlist is discovering the music of Richter.

Scaramouche, Brazileira: Milhaud.

A really fun, light-hearted piece of music.
Very enjoyable.

Scaramouche is a great piece for a sunny day - mind you, I can see it being cheery on a gloomy day too. A mood-improver.

Yes, it was a real mood-booster. I woke up humming it today.

The Seasons: June (Barcarolle): Tchaikovsky.

It must be one of those June days when the sun is hiding behind a heavy blanket of cloud :) This is a melancholic piece of music, but it's lovely and I did like listening to it.

Agree, it's a lovely piece, reflective and gentle and lyrical.

Madrigals and Motets: Orlando Gibbons.

I love music from this era. It's wonderfully pure, no frills. This a beautiful piece of music, short and sweet. The clarity of the voice is gorgeous. The verse is sad however and I'm struck by the sweetness of the melody which delivers such a sad message.

I’m ridiculously behind, I had already missed a few days anyway then we went on holiday and then I went away for work and have been frantically trying to finish a piece of work based on that trip whenever I wasn’t wrestling a toddler who is having an average of three tantrums every ten minutes at the moment.

I am slowly catching up a few pieces a day, but far too many to post about. So I’m just going to join in from today and then try to catch up the rest as and when.

The Gibbons was nice, not my favourite we’ve heard from this era.

Good to hear from you AliasGrape :)

I went from 'Oh a lovely piece about a swan!' to 'Oh the poor swan!'

Loved the Gibbons. I've learnt, somewhat to my own surprise, that I'm always up for a nice madrigal.

Or a motet, at a push 😁

I used 'motet' as my starter word today in Wordle and it was a great choice.

Or indeed, a motet...I have a tenuous grasp of the technicalities.

The Sicilienne was pleasant, although it didn't blow me away.

I know the Sicilienne. I agree, it's pleasant, not outstanding.

Sinfonietta 1st Movement: Janáček.

This isn't music to listen to too early in the morning! It's a very impressive piece for brass and must be great to play if you're a brass player or percussionist. It's not so great if you're a viola player sitting in the back row (from experience!)

Richter was quiet and understated and sublime. Hahn has such an amazing tone. Loved this so much. One for the playlist
Milhaud - although this was written for two pianos I prefer the sax version (Jess Gillam), probably because I heard it first. So sunny and light.
I found the Tchaikovsky pretty forgettable.
Gibbons - not my cup of tea.
von Paradis I'm familiar with this, although I had no idea who composed it. Such a beautiful melody and a perfect fit for the cello.

Today's piece is Janacek: Sinfonietta 1. Allegretto - Allegro - Maestoso. This was lots of booming, blustering brass, which felt a bit much for a Sunday morning. Not for me.

Cross-posted with you Fuzzy, having lost my post and rewritten it. Hard agree that it's too early for fanfares!

Over the last few days I've enjoyed the Richter and the Tchaikovsky. Not so fussed about the others. I found today's quite harsh and blaring (and I'm not anti-brass!).

I listened to the Von Paradis again to revert to something quieter for Sunday* *morning.
It's lovely. The melody is gentle and haunting and it suits the cello very well.

I’m not too well - struggling with what is possibly labrynthitis or maybe an inner ear thing or possibly sinuses I don’t know. Anyway I’m having a little lie down and found the sicilienne from yesterday lovely and lilting and soothing.

The Sinfonietta from today not so much! But it was quite stirring and possibly one to revisit when I’m feeling better.

Sorry you're not feeling great, Alias. Stirring is a good word for today's. I really liked it. I feel I should stride off and undertake some noble act of great valour.

Get well soon Alias ☕🍪

Bring Us, O Lord God - William Harris

I enjoyed this, I do like the choral ones. It wasn't my favourite, however in an attempt to keep up more I'm trying to listen whilst DD has breakfast and I potter in the kitchen as previous strategy of only listening when I have 5 mins to myself ended up with me being about a month behind! I don't know, though, if that's affecting my appreciation a little.