Whether you’re a complete novice or lifetime enthusiast of classical music, this book is sure to be your daily companion for the genre. With one piece of music chosen for every day of the year, Clemency Burton-Hill insightfully and playfully brings each piece to life with context about the composer, ranging from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Puccini to George Gershwin, Clara Schumann, Philip Glass and Duke Ellington, all while reminding us of the pure joy that can be had from listening to something beautiful for just a short time each day.
Verdi’s Requiem at Theresienstadt:
In this book Clemency sheds light on how, in January 1942, a single smuggled score brought together about 150 Jewish prisoners at concentration camp Theresienstadt under conductor Rafael Schächter. Despite starvation and deportations, they performed Verdi’s Requiem sixteen times—singing “to the Nazis what they cannot say,” immersing themselves “in a world of art and happiness” to sustain hope amidst suffering.
Listen to a concert of the piece here.
What Clemency Burton-Hill says about the book:
“I really wanted to open up this glorious music for anyone. whoever you are, wherever you come from, whatever your background is, even if you literally know nothing about classical music… It’s a very personal field guide through a thousand years of music, from the Medievalists to the Millennials.”
Listen to Clemency’s January playlist for the book here.
Why do we love it?
We love Year of Wonder for its thoughtful curation and clear-sighted commentary. Clemency guides us through a millennium of classical music, from familiar works to hidden gems. Her introduction to Verdi’s Requiem, performed in Theresienstadt, is especially moving: a reminder of music’s power to bear witness when words cannot.
Listen to Clemency discussing this book on our JLF Player here