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jasonfurman's review against another edition
5.0
I started this on January 1st and just finished it today. It is a separate movement from a classical piece for each day of the year, generally ranging from 2 to 20 minutes. In some cases motivated by the feeling of the day (like the champagne popping in the Johann Strauss waltz for today’s piece), in some cases the birthday, death day of the composer or the date of the composition, and in some cases even more arbitrary.
Clemency Burton-Hill is ecumenical in her tastes, incredibly enthusiastic, not remotely snobby—talks about pieces she listens to in the Tube, while doing housework, or reverentially in a concert hall. All of the major composers are here but with 366 days (yes, it has the leap day—so perfect for 2020), there are lots of women, non-European/Americans, and composers who are still alive and working—many of them under 50.
A book like this would have been impossible prior to streaming but with streaming I was able to listen to all 366 pieces (mostly on the designated day, but sometimes I did in groups because I got behind or felt like getting ahead). This introduced me to so many new pieces/composers that I downloaded and will help add to my listening next year and beyond.
If you like classical music and want to expand your horizons this is a great way to do it.
Clemency Burton-Hill is ecumenical in her tastes, incredibly enthusiastic, not remotely snobby—talks about pieces she listens to in the Tube, while doing housework, or reverentially in a concert hall. All of the major composers are here but with 366 days (yes, it has the leap day—so perfect for 2020), there are lots of women, non-European/Americans, and composers who are still alive and working—many of them under 50.
A book like this would have been impossible prior to streaming but with streaming I was able to listen to all 366 pieces (mostly on the designated day, but sometimes I did in groups because I got behind or felt like getting ahead). This introduced me to so many new pieces/composers that I downloaded and will help add to my listening next year and beyond.
If you like classical music and want to expand your horizons this is a great way to do it.
jennyzee23's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book. Lots of fun. I think only one of the selections was not on Spotify.
tellmeastoryxx's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
nicklawrence83's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
savidgereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
celeste57's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This was an informative and enlightening look into the world of classical music. Through a piece a day, I was introduced to a vast compendium of music I had never experienced before, as well as learning some of the background behind pieces and artists I already knew and respected. There were a couple of drawbacks to this book, but those are very much personal preferences. Firstly, there was far more opera included than I would have expected. When I hear “classical music” I instantly think of instrumentals, which I know is closed-minded. I simply have never developed a taste for opera, and thus there was a wide swath of this collection that I suffered through instead of enjoyed. Secondly, I wish there had been a bit more to the write-ups for each day. I know they’re meant to be brief, and that the author had a lot to do as there were 366 of them, but I was just left wanting more information to go along with quite a few of these pieces. But again, those are minor personal complaints. All in all I found <i>Year of Wonder</i> illuminating, and I’m very glad to have been introduced to so much new-to-me music.
brooklynbrianreads's review against another edition
5.0
In this house-bound year, I am grateful I had this classical music companion. Burton-Hill was certainly successful in her determination to "open this vast treasury of musical riches by suggesting a single piece to listen to every day of the year: by giving it some context, telling some stories about the people behind it, and reminding you that it was created by a real person."
Highly recommend to anyone who has never given classical compositions a chance!
Consider listening to Clemency's Open Ears Project podcast too https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/open-ears-project
Highly recommend to anyone who has never given classical compositions a chance!
Consider listening to Clemency's Open Ears Project podcast too https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/open-ears-project