Author: Clemency Burton-Hill
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| via Amazon |
Year of Wonder is an ambitious project. Writer, radio/television presenter and professional violinist Clemency Burton-Hill selected a classical piece to share each day of the calendar year, including Leap Year Day along with historical notes and a brief explanation for each choice. The intention was to introduce the genre to newcomers with varied and easily digestible tidbits and also exhibit enjoyable works beyond the canon for those more knowledgeable. I read along for the entire year and also managed to find a not quite complete Spotify playlist so I could listen, too.
It's made for a most enjoyable year, at least as far as listening to quality music is concerned. Burton-Hill includes a wonderful variety by era, instrumentation, nation, etc. In particular, she included the work of numerous female composers, a most welcome consideration at our house. I've always enjoyed learning about composers anyway. I first learned the stories of the big names - Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, etc. - from flim strips (remember those?) shown by my elementary school music teacher. To me, they were like characters in a book. As such, learning lots of new names was fun. Not surprisingly, quite a lot of composers have lived, shall we say, colorful lives.
There are flaws, including a predictable northern hemisphere bias where seasons are concerned (the author is British). Also, Burton-Hill takes the Mozart Effect at face value and one most definitely should not. But overall, the strengths far outweigh the few nit-picky flaws. I would love to see similar books for jazz and rock. Might I have to write those myself?
This does sound like a nice book that should include a CD or a link where you could have a link to the music. I also agree that it would be nice to have similar books on other musical genres.
ReplyDeleteA CD would have been nice. The author herself compiled the list on Apple Music but I'm not on that one. The Spotify list I used was compiled by someone else.
DeleteMozart effect?
ReplyDeletebah, Now, I have to go look that up!
That's the theory that listening to Mozart improves your intelligence. It's based on an experiment that was almost immediately debunked - by the experimenters themselves! Yet it became a potent marketing tool targeting new parents: Baby Einstein, etc.
DeleteThe problem for me, as someone who must advocate for music education, is that while the Mozart Effect would seem to support the cause, it's undermining once you peek behind the curtain. There are real, demonstrated benefits to learning music. Learning to play an instrument literally makes your brain grow in mass and it increases synaptic connections. The benefits are permanent. I'd much rather build on that argument!
Our collection of music always included the classics, along with Chopin. When we moved, we donated them. It had to happen.
ReplyDeleteThere are several Chopin pieces in the book. Even with all of the new stuff, the old guard is well-represented.
DeleteI've always wanted to delve into classical music in a formal manner. Just never had the opportunity, this could be just what I'm looking for.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much - centuries of music to choose from! Classical music radio actually isn't much help, generally sticking to an easily digestible 1700-1900 stretch. All else being equal, I love the earlier stuff. I'll take Monteverdi and Palestrina over Mozart and Bach anytime. 20th and 21st century can be more challenging but there's a lot there if one is willing to give it a chance.
DeleteA book like Burton-Hill's is useful as it offers a smattering of everything.
Sounds like an interested read, especial if you are able to read along with a playlist. Perhaps you should write the Jazz and Rock version.
ReplyDeleteI won't deny it. That could be a lot of fun!
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