“Summer time and the livin’ is easy.”
Do the seasons affect what we listen to? I think so.
Summer is that lazy reprieve between the jolt of spring and the introspective chill of winter. For some, people find winter the hardest to deal with psychologically. Summer is more difficult for me. There’s a wildness about summer; an almost “anything goes” attitude. I gravitate towards calming music during this sunny clime. Here’s my list:
Julian Bream Edition Vol 25 - Music Of Spain
No guitarist before, nor any after him have quite the interpretive heart of Julian Bream; especially when it comes to the towering music of Spain. One can imagine living in a seaside villa, swaying in a hammock, and enjoying a lazy summer afternoon.
John Cage: In a Landscape (Stephen Drury, piano)
Listeners may think I have gone on out a thin limb to even suggest Cage, but that’s because you haven’t heard this record. This reveals a side of Cage we thought not existed: melodic, dreamy and ultimately beautiful. Even the prepared piano of Music for Marcel Duchamp captures the imagination. Brilliant.
Eno: Music for Airports / Bang On a Can
While we can’t really call this classical, there is no getting around how ultimately beautiful and relaxing this music is. Eno’s 1979 pioneering studio composition is performed in real time by Bang On a Can and the results are heavenly.
George Crumb: Complete Edition, Volume 11
Come on, summer can’t be all swimming, BBQ or just lazing about, can it? Summer evenings are perfect for a little personal introspection. This is not music for your evening soiree-that is sure to end the evening quickly. I suggest a walk out under a star-filled sky with your iPod to truly appreciate the otherworldly imagination of WV’s native son.