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 clarinet chat confused me a little. I know this as a violin piece, and have the Janine Janssen recording on my current classical playlist. I love it. Warm and romantic and yearning.

Ah, now I’ve gone and listened to a few different versions I like it much better as a violin piece. Much more fluid. I liked this version:

I’ve found myself with an hour or so to kill (million boring things I could be doing but I’m not going to) and am going back over some of the previous days - funny how I’m enjoying them more now I can just sit here, not trying to ‘fit it in’ like a task to tick off. I’m actually really liking the Bruch and I remember not being taken with it on it’s given day.

I love the one piece a day format but I really need to find a way to approach it more like a pleasure and less like homework, I think it might be affecting my enjoyment of the pieces.

Although revisiting the Corelli and still felt weirdly antsy and like I wanted it to hurry up, wonder what that’s all about?

Today’s piece the Clara Schumann - the version I listened to was violin and piano. I liked this - can’t think of much to say beyond that though sorry!

I’m wfh and start about 7 most days so around 10am I’m ready for a coffee break and I’ve found that’s a good time to listen for me.

@IsFuzzyBeagMise

Clara Schumann: Three Romances, Andante Molto. This is a short, but sweet piece of music. It's wistful and charming. I like it a lot. It's nice to hear the clarinet as solo instrument. The piece suits it well. It's music for listening to on a Sunday afternoon, reading a book and sitting by the fire.

I was reading about Clara Schumann. What a full life she had. In my music book she was only a footnote alongside Robert Schumann, saying that she was a concert pianist with no mention of her compositions. I wonder how many other talented women there were who were never recognized.

In case anyone's interested in reading around the subject of Clara Schumann's life, Janice Galloway's novel Clara is well worth seeking out.

Todays was a bit of a grower for me. I was keen at first, but not sure if that was the tune or the instrument I didn't like. However towards the end it had won me over. I think I'll listen to it again tomorrow.

Thank you, Terpsichore. I'll definitely look it up.

That's a gorgeous version of the piece, BestIsWest. Thanks for putting it up. I'm tempted to learn that. It doesn't sound too difficult.

It must have been transcribed for clarinet at some stage. It makes sense that it was originally written for the violin.

I had forgotten that we're not all following the playlist on Spotify. TheTurn0fTheScrew is saying 'Clarinet? What clarinet?!'

Puccini: Tosca 'E lucevan le stelle'. A well-known and well-loved aria, for good reason. This is a lovely piece of music; passionate and despairing. I love the solo clarinet at the start of the piece, perfectly mournful. I think it helps to know the context of the aria and to know what the singer is saying to appreciate it properly.

For once, I’m familiar with today’s and I adored it. I saw the Welsh National Opera do Tosca a couple of years ago - only the second opera I’ve ever seen live and I absolutely adored it so I’ve listened to this a few times.
Absolutely gorgeous. My favourite so far I think.

I listened to various versions of this with different tenors- just beautiful all. Really enjoyed today, and appreciated the context and translation in the notes.

Yes. Good notes today.

I have enjoyed going to the opera a few times but I’m not very keen on just listening to it without all the theatrical side. So this wasn’t something I’d choose to listen to. I did follow up yesterdays with more Clara Schumann though and enjoyed it.

goodness, that was gut-wrenchingly lovely. the solo clarinet is really atmospheric, and I loved how the drama built from there. I don't know much opera, and am looking forward hopefully to hearing more throughout the year.

Todays was definitely atmospheric and I really liked yesterdays. I have only been to see an opera once when I was 17. I enjoyed it. What makes todays piece an opera? Is there a version with words?

@Cherryana I'm not sure what players you're using bit if you search youtube/ Spotify etc for the title you will mostly be given the vocal versions - I listened to the Pavarotti version and also Placido Domingo and my favourite was Kauffman.

Today was another very moving story in the notes and as I listened I could vividly picture that performance. Again, I'm not sure if I would have.got as much out of the piece itself without knowing that, and as purely a piece of music I don't think I would have appreciated it, though I would have recognised it was mournful and sad. I'd like to listen to the rest of the work and may do that next time j don't have a toddler hanging off me.

Oh god so many typos sorry

Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps, 5th movement. I listened to this several times to get the sense of the piece. I like the opening melody, it's beautifully haunting and I like its reprise towards the end of the piece. I wouldn't list it among my favourites from this playlist, however.

Oh this piece is giving me goosebumps. I love it. Knowing the circumstances in which it was written certainly helps.
I actually haven’t been so moved by a new (to me) piece of music for a long time.

Very haunting and quite difficult to listen to at times.

What a beautiful, evocative, melancholic piece of music. The story behind the composition and performance adds another layer, I also had goosebumps listening. I think this may be my favourite so far.

Knowing the story behind it added a whole new level for me. I agree that it's haunting.

@AliasGrape - thank you!! You’ll never guess what though - I got my days muddled. I listened to todays one (Messiaen) yesterday but thought it was yesterday’s and that’s why I wondered what made it an opera- I thought it was some classical musical term that meant something different -nope, just wasn’t 😂!

So I just listened to the Tosca today!!

[quote Cherryana]@AliasGrape - thank you!! You’ll never guess what though - I got my days muddled. I listened to todays one (Messiaen) yesterday but thought it was yesterday’s and that’s why I wondered what made it an opera- I thought it was some classical musical term that meant something different -nope, just wasn’t 😂!

So I just listened to the Tosca today!![/quote]
Very funny 😁

[quote Cherryana]@AliasGrape - thank you!! You’ll never guess what though - I got my days muddled. I listened to todays one (Messiaen) yesterday but thought it was yesterday’s and that’s why I wondered what made it an opera- I thought it was some classical musical term that meant something different -nope, just wasn’t 😂!

So I just listened to the Tosca today!![/quote]
I did wonder if something like that had happened! Mainly because I could totally picture myself doing that

Scriabin: Étude in C-Sharp Minor. I like this a lot. It's sad, tender, profound. It's a piece that would grow on you over time.
I'm missing the usual background information from the notes, however, and now I really want a glass of red wine because I'm doing dry January