One of the things I love most about this type of music is that it can interpreted differently depending on your mood, the atmosphere, and even who is playing it. It’s amazing how you can listen to the same piece over and over again, and yet, be struck by any number of emotions each time. There are some pieces that fill me with such joy, and then the next time I hear it I am saddened. Music is quite possibly one of the most beautiful gifts we have, as it seems to be able to transcend borders, culture, and language. It also proves how something can apply from one generation to the next, or even with several in between. That my grandmother and I could enjoy the same set, is something truly heartwarming, as I’m not sure our other tastes in music would translate well, like Vivaldi does.
I’ve been pretty blessed to have an appreciation for classical music, in particular. I am a part of a family that has an accomplished pianist in its midst. My aunt has helped to expand my collection of classical music, as she has introduced me to new pieces and composers over the years. I was also fortunate to have a music teacher in elementary school who’s passion for the classics was extremely influential, and was often used as a means of encouraging the use of our imaginations as we engaged with various compositions.
Since I haven’t been writing as much lately, and this theme has really been playing on my mind, I thought I’d share a few of my favourites. Here we go:
Vivaldi - Four Seasons
This piece is truly beautiful - you can actually feel the change from one season to the next and be swept away by all of the twists and turns. Winter is my favourite of the four, but they all have something unique and magical about them. Spring, I would guess, is the most widely recognized, as it is frequently used in films and large-scale wedding productions. But selecting a favourite can be tricky, since, as I said above, depending on my mood or where I am, physically, how I perceive it can pull me towards one over the others.
Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre
Saint-Saëns is best known for his Carnival of the Animals works, which features selections such as Aquarium and The Swan. Danse Macabre, meaning dance of the Dead is another wonderful piece that plays with your imagination. This piece in particular brings me back to my younger years in music class with Miss. MacMullin. She used to get us to act out the song; sometimes with prompts, while other times letting our imaginations run wild. Listen for the wind, the rushing as dawn approaches, and all of the other wonders of this piece.
Frédéric Chopin - Prélude (“Raindrop”)
Thanks to my aunt, Heather, I have developed a deep admiration for the work of Chopin. It’s hard to choose one piece to share, so I’m actually going to share two. The first, Prélude is a beautiful piece that allows you to imagine an oncoming storm, which builds all the way to it’s passing. This is my favourite piece to hear Heather play. I am always brought back to Acadia University’s Garden Room, where she usually holds her recitals. But as a fan of rain, it also plays into my love for a good storm - particularly on a warm summer day.
Frédéric Chopin - Nocturne
This is the second piece of Chopin’s that I truly enjoy. I chose to include this one because one of my favourite modern day composers, Ólafur Arnalds released a compilation of Chopin’s work, and that makes me super happy! Since many young people seem to be into his own work, the idea that he might be introducing them to Chopin’s is exciting, and gives me hope that they might actually branch out to explore other composers.
Pachelbel - Canon in D Major
Another well-known wedding piece. However, I was introduced to it via ‘90s hip hop artist Coolio who used it in his song “I’ll C U When U Get There”. It doesn’t have quite the same feel as the original composition, but it got me to explore Pachelbel’s work, so I guess everybody wins... except Coolio, because he’s sort of irrelevant now. Anyway, this is another beautiful piece that I can easily get lost in.
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
Choosing a Beethoven piece is probably one of the most difficult tasks to self-inflict. I chose this piece because of the recent take by E.S. Posthumus, who are a duo that do a lot of soundtrack work. They are more of a classical-electronica group, and I loved what they did with this piece. They kept to it’s origins, but gave it a more modern twist.
The Cinematic Orchestra - Arrival of the Birds & Transformation
Okay, I’ll be honest, I had no idea who wrote this piece until moments ago. This is also the concluding piece for this post. This first came to me in the form of an 8Tracks playlist while studying for finals in my first year at Acadia. It has always captured my attention and soon it was put on regular rotation in my personal playlists. It has also been a piece that has taken me a long time to listen to again, as it brings up a lot of emotional turmoil, but it is beautiful all the same. This was the last song I played in the car with my Mom before she dropped me off the last time. I think of it now as our song, which is silly because there is a far longer list of tunes we have listened to over the years that would be more appropriate! But, alas, this is my last living memory of her. And, I don’t know if I’ve ever admitted that to myself, let alone anyone else.
I hope a few of these become ear worms for you, as they have for me. There are so many others that I could have included, but this post would continue on forever. I would highly recommend Fantasia and Fantasia 2000. I’ve never been a huge Disney fan, but the soundtracks to these are phenomenal. Feel free to use the comments section below to tell me what your favourite pieces are and any memories associated with them!
-the Orange Canadian
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