Year of Wonder: Classical Music For Every Day (Part Two)

[IsFuzzyBeagMise]

Year of Wonder (Part One)

New thread to accompany the book Year of Wonder by Clemency Burton Hill.

All welcome to join in.

@AKnitterofThings welcome aboard! I don't even follow the playlist, just stick the title in youtube or Spotify and often have a try with a couple of different versions to see what I prefer.

The last few days weren't a great run from my perspective. Neither of the choral pieces did it for me. The Szymanowska I feel is the sort of thing I usually like but for some reason it didn't grab me. I think I might be on some sort of post-Dvorak grumpy mid week comedown .

Hello all - I fell off the thread again. Another work trip and then visitors (still here) this time. Catching up one or two at a time, I’ve got as far as Mozart’s Requiem which since that is where this thread starts thought I’d jump in now. Utterly beautiful, even though I was like ‘urgh that sounds heavy’ when I saw the notes.

Of the past few days I’ve really enjoyed the Field too.

🙄I literally thought I was typing Canarios but listening to my aunt scrolling through the playlist as saying ‘who is this, John Field?’ so obviously that’s what I typed. I enjoyed the Canarios. I do love a Renaissance/ baroque folk dance it seems.

Hi Alias! You and me both. I'm also fond of a Renaissance dance :) irresistible!

Partita no. 2 in D Minor BWV 1004 Chaconne: JS Bach. Transcribed by Ferruccio Busoni.

It's a double bill of Bach today and tomorrow. Today's piece is the transcribed work. Tomorrow's is the original. It made sense to me to listen to both of these pieces side by side to get sense of the original piece as I don't know it and to compare both.

The Busoni version of the Chaconne is very impressive. It must have been a mammoth task to transcribe this for piano. It's very skilful. After listening to it carefully a few times, I'm beginning to recognise the framework that is Bach and the embellishments that are Busoni's. There is a contemporary virtuosity in his piece and techniques that sound more modern to my ear.

This is definitely a piece that needs time to process but it is marvellous.

The Original Partita by Bach

This is indeed amazing and I prefer it to yesterday's. It is beautiful on the violin. I am in awe of the ease with which the violinist (Joshua Bell on Spotify) achieves clarity of tone with the string crossings and double stops. It's incredibly skilful.

The piece is both beautiful and impressive.

Loved the Josquin Des Prez.. I find the Bach somewhat impenetrable, particularly the original version. I suspect it's my fault rather than his.

I read today on Noah Bendix-Bagley's Twitter that the manuscript for the 6 Sonatas and Partitas by Bach was discovered in 1814 in St. Petersburg among a stack of old paper destined to be used as wrappings in a butter shop!

I was cross yesterday as I didn't want to listen to a piano version of the mighty Chaconne, but everything's alright again now. This is perfect. I went for the Hilary Hahn recording. So clean and vivid.

That's fascinating, TheTurn. It was so close to being lost forever.

Gran Vals: Francisco Tárrega.

This is relaxing to listen to after the intensity of the Bach double bill.

Whenever I listen to classical guitar, I wonder why I don't listen to it more often. It's lovely.

Eternal Source of Light Divine: Handel.

I enjoyed this very much. I thought it was very radiant and altogether full of light as per the title of the piece.

Sonata in B Minor, Andante Sostenuto: Liszt.

I think I prefer the other piece for solo piano that we had earlier in the year by Liszt, 'Six Consolations'. There is a lovely moment at around two and a half minutes into the piece. It's not a favourite though.

Speaking of favourites, it's the end of the month and it's time for a review. I really enjoyed the American selection of pieces this month. They were altogether very interesting and varied.

As usual, there are quite a few; Satie, Smyth, Weill, Elgar, Mendelssohn, Gershwin, Ravel, Savall, Tabakova, Mozart, Dvořàk and Bach. And an honourable mention goes to the string quartet's version of the Satie that TheTurn posted.

Onwards to August!

The Tarrega was really lovely. I has no idea that the Nokia ringtone was stolen, and what great source material. Summery and light.

Handel was good too - pretty melodies with a very serene feel.

Today’s piece is elegant and restrained and not what I imagine when I think of Lizst (I think the tricksy stuff is within other sections). I enjoyed it but didn’t find it especially memorable or moving.

My favourite this month were Satie (arr. Koncz tho!), Smyth, Weill, Mahler, Ravel, Mozart (shocker), Dvorak, Bach (not transcribed), and Tarrega. Several of these are old favourites, so special mentions for the Smyth, Weill, Ravel, and Tarrega pieces, which were great to discover.

Csárdás: Vittorio Monti.

I don't have strong feelings for this piece either way. It's a party piece for violinists in my opinion.

Caught up with the last few days - love the drama.

That was meant to say that I loved the drama of the Handel.

That was meant to say that I loved the drama of the Handel.

Ah! Yes. The Handel was beautiful. Suitably regal for the occasion of the Queen's birthday.

Had to do two weeks worth of catching up so may have overloaded my ears.
liked the Canarios, Mozart Requiem, Dvorak. Hated the Bach.

All caught up again, visitors gone home and toddler DD's birthday celebrations over with so really must make the effort to get back into daily listening.

The Bach piece just highlights for me how much I still don't really 'get it' despite learning and enjoying a lot. It was OK, I suppose I could tell it was 'serious proper classical music' but I've no idea why Clemency insists it is everything. I can't particularly imagine seeking it out again and I had far far more fun listening to the Tarrega, which I definitely will again.

• • Today's 'one hit wonder' was rather nice too.

To Be Sung Of A Summer Night On The Water: Delius.

This starts off nicely enough with the choristers singing a gentle tune, but takes a strange turn when the solo tenor breaks in with what sounds like a refrain from a Gilbert and Sullivan musical. It sounds rather jarring from then on and not particularly idyllic for a lovely summer's night, I don't think.

I generally enjoy the choral stuff and didn't not like this, but it didn't particularly do much for me really. Felt a bit nothing.

Today’s Brahms was not for me either.

Sonata for Cello and Piano no.1 in E Minor Op 38 1st Mvt, Allegro ma non troppo: Brahms.

This is the first of the favourites of the month for me. I think it's magnificent. It's the first time that we have a piece for cello and piano from the romantic period. So far this year we listened to a movement from one of the Bach suites for cello, but other than that the cello has featured in chamber music on our list to date.

The cello is a wonderful instrument. It's powerful with great depth and range. It's very sonorous in the lower register and tender and lyrical in the higher register.
This piece showcases the cello's best qualities. There is also a real partnership with the piano which is definitely not just accompanying the cello. The piece engaged me from its haunting opening notes through to the end. I'll come back to this one.

Playing a little catch up here! First review too (I am not educated in musical jargoneither 😁)
I really enjoyed Csárdás, not heard of the piece or of Vittorio Monti. It was certainly a foot tapping bit of music and it made me smile.

The Csárdás I don't love - not wild on the folky feel. The Delius was meh. Brahms was great - big, romantic, powerful.

Today's piece is Beim Schlafengehen from Vier Letze Lieder by Richard Strauss.

I LOVE the Vier Letze Lieder. Not sure which version is on the playlist but for me it has to be Jessye Norman, who manages somehow to be the star and yet blend so well. The lilting motif here is beautiful and warm. And as Clemency notes, these are incredibly well scored. The orchestra never feels like an afterthought, although as Team Woodwind I prefer the fourth song, Im Abendrot, as the flutes and oboes sound sublime.

I saw these performed last year and it was so moving. And that was before I knew the translation, which it's lovely to have here.