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.

Suite Popular Brasileira 4. "Gavotta-Choro": Heitor Villa-Lobos.

This is a very likeable piece. I thought the folk element of the choro was cleverly integrated with the standard gavotte. A gavotte with a difference!

Piano Quartet No. 2 in E Flat Major Op. 87, Lento: Dvořàk.

I'm pleased to hear another piece by Dvořàk today, the third one I think in so many weeks. This was a pleasure to listen to. A beautiful, serene opening with the cello at its most expressive. I love the fiery, passionate outbursts at around three minutes and eight minutes in. They are magnificent. It's a piece of contrasts. The sublime cello solos and the turbulent tuttis. Beautiful ending too. Great stuff. I must listen to the rest of it later.

Che si pùo fare: Barbara Strozzi.

This is beautiful and as soon as I heard it I knew it would be a favourite.

The Dvorak and Strozzi both had lovely moments but felt quite loooong. I accept I'm uncultured but would really prefer pieces be wrapped up in a brisk 3 minutes or so.

Really like today's Pejavic - it had emotional heft without losing its dignity.

Incidentally, thanks for keeping this thread going, Fuzzy. You're a better listener than I am, and you spell names with all the accents.

....and diacritical marks (had to look up the word!)

Hey Biblio! Thanks 😁I noticed I put the accent on the wrong vowel yesterday though, because I was in a rush!

Impromptu in B-Flat Major Op 32b: Dora Pejačević.

I like this Impromptu. It's quiet and thoughtful and I agree with Biblio that it is emotional but dignified. Interesting notes. How does Clemency hear about so many talented but obscure women composers?

She has a very broad knowledge. I didn't expect all the nuns. I thought it would be all piano and violins but I really appreciate the breadth.

Yes. I'm realising my knowledge of classical music is very mainstream.

'In Paradisum' from Trinity Requiem: Robert Moran.

A truly beautiful piece of music that is perfect* *on this day.

It was touching.

I have got very behind! I agree - huge thanks to IsFuzzyBeagMise for keeping us all on track.

I'm another one feeling a bit basic in the light of the breadth and depth of Clemency's knowledge. Hats off to her.

Mozart - nope. I will allow his choral and opera stuff, but the rest leaves me cold.
Leonarda - baroque music is not my thing, really, but this had interesting tempo changes. I liked the version with the pipe organ that IsFuzzyBeagMise listened to
Villa-Lobos - this was very sweet but didn't blow me away.
Dvorak - this was amazing. Lush, rich, alternately serene and dramatic, never predictable. Everything I needed and more! I've playlisted this and am looking forward to the other movements.
Strozzi I knew this one already and was happy to have another listen. Such a pretty melody.
Pejačević was elegant and restrained and lovely. Another for the playlist, I think.
Moran - This isn't something that I'd necessarily listen to again, but it's a perfect commission. The strings are lovely.

Adagio and Allegro in A-Flat Major, Op. 70, 1. Langsam: Schumann.

I know this as a viola piece as many pieces have been transcribed from the cello to the viola as both instruments have the same strings, an octave higher in the viola.

I was very happy to hear this old favourite. It's such a gorgeous, heartfelt piece of music. It's beautiful on the cello. It looks like a nice album on Spotify to listen to.

I enjoyed your comments above, TheTurn. I was wondering if the Mozart Clarinet Quintet might melt your heart (!)
Good point on the Moran. It was a perfect commission. I'll see if I go back to it, whether or not it has the potential to be a perennial favourite.

I’ve got really behind again too, and can only echo what other posters have said - thanks to IsFuzzy for keeping us on track.

The Villa-Lobos was nice but didn’t massively stand out to me. I listened to his ‘choros number 1’ just to get a sense of what they would sound like - I liked that.

Dvorak - lovely, although like biblio I do always have an internal sigh when I see it’s a long piece! I’ll be uncultured with you.

I enjoyed the Strozzi, lovely melody. That’s interesting about the bass line - for the first time I felt like I maybe got what she was talking about!

Pejačević - what an interesting life story she had. This was a lovely piece, it was restrained but I felt it had real emotion behind it.

The Moran In paradisum - in conjunction with the notes - was very moving.

I enjoyed the Schubert too but again I’m not sure how memorable I’ll find it.

Not sure there’s any obvious favourites there for me. Maybe I’m just not in the mood to be particularly impressed today!! It’s very grey and rainy here, and having a lot to catch up on never helps to appreciate the individual pieces I find. Here is where I promise to do better at listening daily again, for about the 15th time on this thread.

Aw, happy to be uncultured with you, Alias!

I agree Alias, I find the listening more rewarding and enjoyable with a piece a day.

Yesterday's Schumann was lovely. The cello sound was rich and mellow and wistful. My teeniest, tiniest complain was that the transition from Adagio to Allegro seemed a bit disjointed on the recording I heard - the gap made me wonder if I'd rolled on to a different piece. I felt like I'd prefer either a smoother transition, or for the Adagio and the Allegro to stand independently.

Today's piece is:

Presto is C major by Arnold Schoenberg
Well, I never would have guessed that this was Schoenberg. I can definitely hear echoes of Beethoven, and Schubert as well. This was lively and bright with lots of drive and interest. Very enjoyable indeed.

The Schoenburg was very enjoyable. It's very reminiscent of Beethoven first time listening to it. It's definitely bright and lively with a playful quality. I agree with TheTurn that it's very engaging; not a single dull moment. There is an interesting bow technique in at around the two minute mark which you wouldn't find in earlier classical music (I think it's col legno where the player uses the wood rather than the hair of the bow). I would never have guessed Schoenburg though. Very interesting and I would like to hear the other movements.

'When the golden cornfield waves' from Four Songs Op. 40 No. 1: Rimsky-Korsakov.

The selection of pieces this month is good; I'm marking a lot of likes on the list. Here's another one! This is a grower. It's dreamy and romantic and you could listen to it and let it transport you to somewhere else. There are some lovely harmonic shifts in the music. It's interesting, while also being gentle and soothing.

Just catching up. I have been listening regularly and jotting down notes but can’t make much sense of them . I have enjoyed both Dvorak pieces very much, been bored by the Stanford (sorry), enjoyed the Verdi.
Not keen on todays Rimsky-Koraskov.

Hi Best! It's always good to hear from you!

Langsamer Satz: Anton Webern.

I think this is fabulous. I listened to it first, then I read the notes and listened to it again. The music seems to mirror the diary entry perfectly. It's very rousing and very passionate at the start. Then there is the strife in the middle (the downpour). Calm is restored when the main theme is taken up on the cello with a tentative accompaniment from the other strings. Passion returns, but it is more muted and it comes to a gentle conclusion.

Poor Webern though. What a sad and unnecessary death he had.

The Webern was lovely, and yes, what a poignant death.

Rimsky-Korsakov - Didn't like this one, didn't grab me at all
Webern - I liked this, but not as much as I thought I might. It got a little samey for me. I think it might be worth another listen, as it's very much the kind of thing I normally really enjoy.

Today's piece is Danzon No 2 by Arturo Marquez.

Absolute banger, probably on my Desert Island list. I love how the mood builds and the rhythm of the dance is strong throughout. I also love how so many instruments/sections get a chance to lead the melody, which makes it very popular with youth orchestras. It never fails to put a spring in my step.

I loved the Márquez. An absolute cracker of a piece. This is music that should put a smile on your face; it's a total mood-booster. The orchestration is very skilful and I agree with TheTurn that it's a brilliant piece for youth orchestras to play as the melody is passed around from section to section. It must be great fun to play. I love the applause at the end of the Spotify recording. Nearly felt like joining in myself :)

The Simon Bolivar symphony orchestra playing Danzón No 2 at the Proms a few years ago.

Thank you TheTurn! I hadn't come across the piece before.

Great piece for a Friday!