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.

😂The Countdown Theme! Can definitely see that about today's piece.

Beati Quorum Via: Charles Villiers Stanford.

This is lovely and soothing after the excitement* *of the Countdown theme 😅

I recognise Stanford's name presumably from other choral pieces, but I'm surprised to hear he wrote so many other works that are largely ignored including nine operas and seven symphonies. That is considerable all the same. You would wonder why that is. A lack of originality, a case of bad timing, not being on trend...?

Quite a contrast between yesterday and today's! I liked them both though - the energy of yesterday's and the beauty of today's.

Today's was just beautiful - needed it after a fraught getting ready for school morning.

Lady in the Dark, My Ship: Kurt Weill.

I also think this is beautiful. Wistful, dreamy and definitely soothing. Straight* *onto the favourites list.

The Stanford was pleasant but unmemorable.
This morning's Weill is gorgeous - lyrical, wistful, and with the lightest sprinkling of Broadway glamour.

I enjoyed both the Stanford and the Weill.
A much needed few moments of stillness and beauty in the middle of a hectic day.

I quite enjoyed the Countdown theme.
Am getting a bit bored by religious choral music. I do like a choir but these are not engaging me.
Kurt Weill - I know the Ella Fitzgerald version of this. Love it.

I agree with TheTurn that the Stanford was pleasant but not memorable.

Symphony no. 5 in C sharp minor 4th mvt. adagietto sehr langsam: Mahler.

I'm finding it difficult to warm to this.
I think it's lovely but long-winded. 'Sehr langsam'. Very slow. Just a shade quicker into 'adagio' and it might have kept my interest.

I think I played this symphony before, but don't remember this movement. Maybe I snoozed through it :)

Fuzzy, I do agree. I can see it's all very lush and romantic, but it doesn't hit me in the heart for whatever reason.

I love the Mahler to bits - it's on my current playlist ATM. Tender and intimate without going all mushy. It was played on R3 this morning. I'd turned on the radio planning to catch up with all the resignation drama overnight, but was unable to turn it over until this had finished. A belter.

Aw, TheTurn. I will listen to the other movements of the symphony. I remember I did like it at the time.

Gladiolus Rag: Scott Joplin.

• *An enjoyable, light-hearted piece of music. Catchy and easy to listen to. I like the American selection of pieces on the playlist this month.

I really enjoyed the Mahler too, it was lovely and romantic.

The Joplin was great, and DD and I had fun dancing in the kitchen to it this morning. I’d be hard pressed to distinguish one ragtime piece from another though I think.

Easy to dance too, Alias :)
Yes, same. I'm not sure I could distinguish them either.

to not too * *

The Joplin is nicely jaunty.

The Mahler - gorgeous, so sad and so romantic.
I’m not wild about the Joplin.

The Mahler was beautiful wasn't it? A favourite for me I think * *

Oops, I think the sun has gone to my head. I did enjoy the Mahler the other day, but what I was actually commenting on was today’s Elgar Cello Concerto in E Minor which I have marked as a favourite. I just loved it.

The Elgar is beautiful, another very moving piece.
Here are some photos I took a while back of a great statue of the man himself.

Cello Concerto in E Minor, 3rd mvt: Elgar.

I'm very fond of the music of Elgar. He writes beautifully with great passion and honesty. I waited until this evening to listen to the whole work. I'm always blown away by the first movement of this concerto when I listen to it. It's incredibly moving. I never get tired of hearing it. Du Pré was an amazing cellist.

I wasn't too familiar with the third movement. It's a really beautiful piece of music. Perfection. This is definitely a favourite.

Songs Without Words Op. 19 no. 1 in E Major: Felix Mendelssohn.

This is beautiful, I love it. I didn't know there were so many volumes of songs without words. I have come across the term before and thought there was only one!

'Bess, you is my woman now' from Porgy and Bess': Gershwin.

I love listening to this. It's fabulous, so heart-warming.

Interesting notes today.