Another Year of Wonder - thread for those reading/ listening in 2023

[AliasGrape]

Happy New Year all.

I think there were one or two of us who really enjoyed Year of Wonder and have decided to give Another Year of Wonder a go.

I wanted to start a thread for people to discuss/ comment and keep the conversation going. I won’t personally be posting daily this time (or doing huge catch ups when I got behind as happened repeatedly last year!) and I know some others have said they are not up for that either.

But thought we could have a thread anyway, for anyone who DOES want to post daily comments, or just when they have absolutely loved or hated something, or just pop in monthly to say what their favourites were, or recommend particular versions, or ask a question etc.

It may well die a death and that’s fine! But it’s here for anyone who does want it/ want to join in - to use however people would like to.

Ive just read the foreword and introduction. I didn’t realise that about Clemency’s brain haemorrhage before, that’s shocking the poor woman. I’m so glad that music was able to continue to be a source of hope and inspiration for her even through Covid when she wasn’t able to have visitors either.

The first piece was Jesu, nun sei gepreiset - Jesus now be praised, Cantata BWV 41 1:Chorus by Johann Sebastian Bach and it was suitably uplifting. I knew it would be Bach before I opened the book - maybe this year I’ll come a little closer to understanding quite what is so essential about his music!

[CoteDAzur]

Happy new year! I wasn't sure I wanted to continue with the sequel but then it roped me in with Bach, my absolute fave composer, God and Savior

A small point but it grates a bit that the author called this a "Chorus". It is a Chorale, a Lutheran Chorale composed by Johannes Hermann. In other words, the Soprano melody in this piece was well known by the German public and meant to be sung together in church. Bach's contribution was the harmonisation - the other three voices (Alto, Tenor, and Bass) that weave in and out of each other in the background and the instrumental accompaniment.

[365names]

Happy new year I might have to do this one alongside the previous year as time go away from me last year x

[TheTurn0fTheScrew]

Happy New Year! Thank you @AliasGrape for starting the thread. I really enjoyed meeting to chat and comment and share musical stories last year, so will hang out here often.

@CoteDAzur JSB is my 15yo's favourite as well, to the point that we're planning a mini pilgrimage to Leipzig in the summer. I think today's piece is among those written there. The trumpet motif here is ridiculously joyful and perfect energy for New Year's Day, and the counterpoints are endlessly fascinating.

[SnowAndFrostOutside]

I have followed along last year’s but not posted. I’m definitely not up for posting everyday or binge listening sessions. A more casual approach will definitely suit me more.

I like today’s Bach. It’s joyful and uplifting. @TheTurn0fTheScrew my 11 year old asked what the Bach was and why do we play it for New Year! A good question I have no answer to. @CoteDAzur Bachfest sounds interesting! And love the little information you added to the piece too. Is this chorale something Germans sing for new year? Something like Auld Lang Syne?

[FuzzyCaoraDhubh]

Thank you @AliasGrape that's perfect. I like the idea of listening daily and having a thread for dropping into when the humour takes me. I took it up as a challenge last year to post daily and it was good, but I don't feel like doing it again.

I was very sorry to hear about Clemency's illness too. It's very shocking. I hope she is doing okay these days. It must have been extremely tough with Covid to cope with as well. I'm also glad that music helped her in her recovery.

I must buy the book now :)

[bibliomania]

Thanks Alias.

The Bach is an exhilarating start to the year.

[Welshwabbit]

Hello everyone! I will try to listen a bit more regularly this year. I need no persuading on Bach and really enjoyed today's offering as an invigorating start to the year.

[MamaNewtNewt]

Can I join? I was really enjoying Year of Wonder last year until I fell off the thread when work got manic? I've restarted that but would love to read this one too so I have someone to discuss the music with.

[Welshwabbit]

2 January

Kinderszenen, Op. 15: 12 Kind im Einschlummern (Child Falling Asleep) by Robert Schumann

I thought I'd try being @FuzzyCaoraDhubh for a day (don't worry, I'm not going to keep it up!). This piece sounds beautifully simple. I did think it was evocative of watching a child fall asleep (albeit a rather more cooperative child than mine were when they were little!). A quiet, contemplative piece of music, suitable for my mood today.

[MamaNewtNewt]

I enjoyed it, although the start was quite melancholic. I agree that this does not reflect my experience of a child going to sleep, where was the "Mum I need a drink", "Mum I'm too hot", "Mum I'm too cold", Mum I need the toilet"

[CoteDAzur]

"CoteDAzur Bachfest sounds interesting! And love the little information you added to the piece too. Is this chorale something Germans sing for new year? Something like Auld Lang Syne?"

No, it is just one of many chorales from 16th-17th Centuries that make you the German musical tradition. Germans have an impressive chorale tradition that goes back to Martin Luther, his Lutheran movement of Protestantism, and the chorales he composed in German such as Jesu, meine Freude and Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland most of which were then taken up and harmonized into cantatas and organ pieces by Bach, Buxtehude, and others.

Bach motet Jesu, meine Freude
Bach organ piece Jesu, meine Freude
Buxtehude Jesu, meine Freude from 2:23

[FuzzyCaoraDhubh]

@Welshwabbit

2 January

Kinderszenen, Op. 15: 12 Kind im Einschlummern (Child Falling Asleep) by Robert Schumann

I thought I'd try being @FuzzyCaoraDhubh for a day (don't worry, I'm not going to keep it up!). This piece sounds beautifully simple. I did think it was evocative of watching a child fall asleep (albeit a rather more cooperative child than mine were when they were little!). A quiet, contemplative piece of music, suitable for my mood today.

That gave me a good laugh. Thank you @Welshwabbit 😂

I loved the opening of the piece most of all. Very lovely.

[FuzzyCaoraDhubh]

Thank you Cote, for the note on the tradition of the Chorale. I remember learning that long ago.

[Buttalapasta]

Thank you for the thread. Yesterday got the year off to a rousing start. In contrast, I found today's piece rather depressing and not at all what I was expecting!

[AliasGrape]

I thought today’s piece was really sad actually (although our guest has gone and the tree/ decorations came down today so I’m feeling a bit glum anyway).

I did laugh at the child falling asleep aspect!

[SnowAndFrostOutside]

I love the the melody at the beginning and end of today’s piece. It’s beautiful and sad. I find the middle slightly less gloomy. I’m listening to this with my headphones in bed. It feels very tranquil and peaceful, capturing a quiet evening perfectly. Maybe it’s about the peace after the child finally fallen asleep. 😂

[MamaNewtNewt]

O sacrum convivium! by Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992)

I didn't mind this one but felt it was a bit meandering. It didn't sound at all modern to me, and I really didn't like the deepest voices (not sure what they are called) as they sounded really frog-like to me. Not one of my favourites.

[TheTurn0fTheScrew]

I enjoyed yesterdays Schumann very much - restrained, romantic and tender. And yes, not at all like the experiences I've had putting children to bed.

The Messiaen today was eerie and other worldly. I felt that some of the unusual harmonies were familiar from the Messiaen piece in Year of Wonder (Quatuor pour la fin du temps), although I did much prefer that piece to this, possibly because I'm not great with choral stuff.

Although I don't think this will become a favourite the harmonies were fascinating so I'm sure I will give it another listen to puzzle over.

[SnowAndFrostOutside]

I don't like today's Messiaen at all. It's boring and drags on for far too long. It doesn't sound modern to me either. But my idea of modern church choir is Jazz choir in evangelical churches.

[CoteDAzur]

Today's piece sounded silly and unpleasant to me, but I have much worse to say about many other Messiaen works. Music is subjective and others seem to love him, but I do think that he is among the most overstated, unworthy people ever to call themselves a composer.

In any case, I couldn't hear any discernible "chromaticism" in this piece.

[FuzzyCaoraDhubh]

I listened to today's Messiaen a few times, but failed to connect with it. Like TheTurn, I remembered the Messaien piece from last year; the movement from the quartet which is essentially a cello solo and I listened to that again. I still like that for its haunting quality. Then I listened to the other movements from the quartet, but I didn't enjoy them. I don't know anything else by this composer, but I find that too much dissonance or too many unusual harmonies difficult to listen to and rather off-putting.

[AliasGrape]

I didn’t particularly connect with the Messiaen today either. Meh.

[FuzzyCaoraDhubh]

Asteroid 4179 Toutatis: Kaija Saariaho.

This does remind me of an asteroid drifting along aimlessly, doing its own thing. I much prefer Gustav Holst's 'The Planets' or the piece we had on last year's playlist 'The Spheres' by Ola Gjeilo.
Today's piece is like a piece of abstract art; no discernible shape or form and totally random.

[SnowAndFrostOutside]

I don't like today's choice either. It's atmospheric, but doesn't sound coherently enough as a piece of music to me. Maybe it works well as a soundtrack to a space movie.

The spotify version is from a double disc album with Holst's The Planets. I am listening to it while working. Love The Planets.