Trish’s Reviews > Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Every Day > Status Update

OK, so. Like I said at the beginning of August, I was on vacation for 3 weeks. And I decided not to continue with the daily updates. It's just too much stress for me, too much of a strain for something that is supposed to be fun. Sorry, guys.

But I am enjoying this book and will continue to look at entries, just not every day.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program. ;P

Please keep enjoying music though!

Today's update will be the last for the next 6 days or so as I'm going on vacation and will neither take the book nor my laptop with me but shall instead enjoy my time out in nature.

So today, we have the Violin Concerto in A minor, op. 82 by Alexander Glazunov.



No schmaltz detected, if you ask me. Just beauty.

Something rather special today: Eyes Shut - Nocturne in C minor by Ólafur Arnalds after Frédéric Chopin (that's Arnalds himself in the video by the way).



I'm no a fan of metal or "re-inventing" classical music, but I liked this rendition of Chopin's wonderful piece.

Today, we get to enjoy Duett for Two Violins by Steve Reich, a contemporary composer still alive today (he was born in 1936).



Not bad, but also nothing that has me gushing. Which is funny considering what the author insisted upon. *lol*

Today, we're listening to If ye love me by Thomas Tallis.



Personally, I don't think he was religious at all!
I think he was a man of faith (he believed in some form of a god) but he didn't hold much with the religious institutions as they proved to be fraught with problems.
No, he just loved the music, I bet.

Another female composer AND a contemporary one. Yep, Eleanor Alberga is still alive today. Here is her Ride Through .

While I am delighted to have another piece for the cello, I must say that this is not really my cuppa. It has many of the problems most modern pieces have IMO.



Sadly, we know where UNICEF's money goes. :(

The Clarinet Sonata in E flat major, op. 167 by Camille Saint-Säens is today's piece and while I would have preferred his (seriously underrated) cello sonata, I have to begrudgingly admit that variety in composers AND the instruments for which these pieces were written is kinda essential for a nice overview.

Today's piece is Beim Schlafengehen (engl.:"Going to Sleep") from Vier letzte Lieder (engl.: "Four Last Songs") by Richard Strauss.



There is something to be said for making your peace with Death rather than fighting - and losing, as we all must eventually.

How exciting! Here is Johannes Brahms' Cello Sonata no. 1 in E minor, op. 38 ! :D
This video shows the full thing (it's gorgeous), but if you want a recording of just the 1st movement (which the author is referring to), *THIS* has Capuçon Gautier and Yuja Wang.