Music for the Dark Days of the Year
There are theories that we associate sounds with colours. In Toronto (about 43 degrees north latitude) the colour of light changes quite dramatically as we approach Christmas. In October, as the angle of the sun declines relative to the earth we see more shadows and we are still hurrying home in the twilight. What I notice the most, however, is that the blue of the sky takes on different tonality. It is more grey. The sky is still blue but that blue is leaning toward a darker base colour. And then in November clouds and changeable weather take over. There is a dull general light as if we are all living in a room with a north-facing window. This dullness is eventually broken by cold crisp winter days where the lack of foliage on the trees and the reflectivity of the snow make our world feel bright again. There is nothing like a cold winter morning walking down the street feeling your nostrils almost freeze together.
The cloudy days of November are at least sober if not somber. There's music for this time of year. Evocative acoustic instruments can be quite beautiful. The acoustic guitar or its early predecessor the lute call forth warmth to take the dampness out of the air. Certain composers also come to mind.
Bach wrote for draughty German churches. Erik Satie is a composer whose writing seems to carry something of an existential ennui. The chromatic music of Ravel brings a sleekness to dull days. Personally, I'm staying away from the tonal composers of the long line like Part and Tavener. They are a little on the heavy side for me as the days are still getting shorter. I was recently in attendance at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto for Leos Janacek's "Glagolitic Mass". That was both modern and uplifting. See, http://www.leosjanacek.com/glagolitic.htm. The sound track to the Lord of the Rings could be both stimulating and in sync with the season. Also in the dramatic department, Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite is really good.
Here is a video for the most famous Satie piece:
