10. Chopin- Piano Concerto No.1, 1st movement (allegro maestoso)
One of the most evocative melodies ever written, deliciously underpinned with an orchestral score that allows every note to bask in the tonal warmth of a spring evening. A deeply expansive and expressive piece in which not only is the Piano given the chance to shine but every phrase and cadence is carefully drawn out and polished. Real 'heart on your sleeve' stuff. This is music!
9. Vaughan Williams- 5th Symphony, 3rd movement (lento)
With the appalling horrors of the Great War still on the mind of the Composer it is of no surprise that this is a moving piece. With a restless quality, it strokes the soul of the listener with a lyrical like outpouring that affords beautiful sounds from every section of the orchestra. Hope after tragedy, the feeling of warm sun after a cold winter. A profound inner serenity pervades the work. Lento in every respect.
8. Beethoven- Violin Sonata No.5, Spring (allegro)
Just imagine a small cascading waterfall or a river in spate and you've captured the essence of this piece, vibrant playful and a sheer delight! Quite a range of emotions are captured here in a work that is perfectly balanced. The violin weeps yet when your ears are taken away from the violin the piano too scurries along with a dreamy rhythmic vivaciousness.
7. Delius- On hearing the first Cuckoo in Spring
The music speaks for itself with this one, even the title does. A celebration of nature is musically painted on a grand canvas. There are a host of fine details in it's melodic contours, especially the interjecting of the Cuckoo on the Clarinet, a masterstroke! Early Spring mornings walking by sweet flowing streams can easily be brought back to mind long after the final cadence has passed away.
6. Schubert- Fantasy for Violin and Piano
This piece is one of the pinnacles of music. It has classic Schubertian tunes that will have you swooning in and out of musical consciousness. Unexpected pizzicato and harmonic shifts give it a human touch. The piece as a whole has a haunting beauty and depth that make it stand out from other works of the same genre. A sense of glowing happiness at the onset of Spring.
5. Shostakovitch- The Gadfly, Romance
One of the most accessible pieces of Classical music ever written. The stirring song like elegance of the Violin will leave you awestruck with amazement. There is tenderness and love in it's undulations and an irresistible grace within it's phrasing but most of all it stands out for it's remarkable simplicity, you will find yourself humming it on many occasions.
4. Schubert- Trout Quintet, Allegro Vivace
Schubert's light touches of Music's brush give this work a real sense of Spring. Its gentle melancholy is beautifully pinpointed. There is a great deal of joy and wit here but the highlight is Schubert's ability to give the music a forward propulsion and elasticity, reminiscent of a Trout darting through a stream. A masterpiece.
3. Bruch- Scottish Fantasy
You could be driving through Wester Ross with it's bunched up jagged mountains or walking along Suilven taking in Sutherland's hills as imposing as giant Chessmen towering over an extravagant water world. This music will take you there. If you get the chance to visit the Motherland, play it up there and get immersed in the ravishing counterpoint of the music and the land. The big tunes roll in from the second movement onwards. Nice to hear a Harp as well. Beguiling piece.
2. Finzi- Invocations of Immortality
This is a perfect example of where words and music meet. The text dwells on the wonder of life and the nostalgia of childhood. A monumental task to set Wordsworth's words to music yet the Composer does it justice. Gorgeous and absolutely moving to the core! With the scent of freshly mown grass and daffodils swaying in the breeze it is probably best appreciated on a Spring evening with a large glass of Wine.
1. Britten- Spring Symphony
Not only is Spring musicalised but the journey from Winter into Spring. Part Symphony, part Oratorio, part Song Cycle yet all the parts are unified and connected
by expressive pastoral imagery. Some of the Poems picture children in the Spring time of their lives, creating a sense of longing in an adult. Britten achieves a real sense of interpretive direction, immersing the listener in wonderful Spring sounds. A truly heartlifting piece of music.
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Now my Deer Blogfans, my financial problems are now over! An anonymous Blogfan has contracted me to do four blogs for an undisclosed fee. What I would like to do my dear DBF's is propose a little competition,
do you think the remaining three blogs are about-
1. The decline and fall of the Roman empire
2. Complete knot tying for beginners
3. Summer, Autumn and Winter
4. The advances in modern heat exchange systems
As usual the first winner will receive a prize! This time not only will the winner receive a signed copy of my new e-book 'How to win at Clock Patience' but I will come round to your house and demonstrate how to win this intriguing game with my own special pack of cards i.e no Kings in it whilst I drink Wine provided by the host, or Champagne if your name happens to be Wilkinson!
KTDA
please leave long glowing comments .
