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Procrastination in all its many forms is beloved by students. On which note, I find myself compiling the first of ‘Becky’s Playlists’. Tailored to the weather, the ducks, world events and music history, this weekly venture will, I hope, take you on a voyage of discovery into the wonderful world of music. Try something new: broaden your musical horizons and, you never know, you may discover a new love for music you might never have considered before.
1. Spring is here and campus is coming to life. The oppressive grey concrete recedes as the trees blossom and ducklings swim in formation, dutifully following their mothers. With spring in the air, why not listen to Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, the ‘Pastoral’. Beautifully lyrical and introspective, it differs from Beethoven’s better known and more fiery Fifth Symphony, premiered simultaneously in Vienna in December 1808. With the call of birds, the trickle of a brook and the claps of thunder, it is a wonderful evocation of the countryside and a clear expression of the love Beethoven had for nature.
2. While a little cheesy, Take That’s album Beautiful World is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing BBQ or a quiet night in with friends. Released in 2006, it’s the fourth full length studio album released by Take That. Described as ‘a throwback to the '90s, but with a modern twist’, it has a certain quality that I can’t resist. Why not re-live the '90s – have some fun and ‘smile, smile, smile’. They all do at Morrisons after all!
3. Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel died this week, 163 years ago. Although a relatively unknown composer – she remains in the shadow of her younger brother Felix, and was constrained by nineteenth-century attitudes towards women composers – among her limited instrumental output is the Opus 11 Piano Trio, composed in 1846 shortly before her death. A four movement romantic piano trio, it displays a wonderful juxtaposition of moods and characters. Moving from the yearning melodies of the first movement to the Hungarian sounding fourth, it is an overlooked gem well worth listening to.
4. If you’re feeling the pressures of exams and deadlines, try listening to Erik Satie’s 3 Gymnopédies. Satie, born this week in 1866, completed the Gymnopédies in spring 1888. Often considered as the forerunner of today’s ambient music, these three atmospheric piano miniatures are in turn ethereal, calming, reflective and elegant. Let them wash over you, relax, and return to work renewed and refreshed.
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