5 pieces of classical music to help you appreciate snow
(Or, at least hate it less)
It causes traffic to jam, roofs to sag, schools to close and teeth to chatter.
Snow is a fact of life (not to say a necessary evil) in Canada. And unless you've embraced a winter sport (and even then), it can be hard to appreciate snow's finer qualities when winter storms strike.
Fortunately, composers of classical music are able to see what we can't — and turn it into something beautiful.
Below, discover five pieces that may change your mind about that snowbank looming outside your window.
Claude Debussy: The Snow is Dancing
This classic comes from Debussy's set of six piano pieces called Children's Corner. Arranged for orchestra by André Caplet, it perfectly captures that "cold outside/cozy inside" feeling you get on blustery winter days.
Judith Bingham: The Snows Descend
Dating from 1997, this piece for 10 brass instruments was inspired by alpine vistas, and in your mind's ear you can hear its majestic tones echoing among mighty snow-capped peaks.
Kevin Lau: Winter is a World of White
Lau's Winter is a World of White is a whimsical movement for flute and harp that depicts a pet parrot named Nyx who longs to explore the snowy world outdoors. (Don't do it, Nyx!)
Alexander Glazunov: Winter
Temperatures in St. Petersburg, Russia, plunged below minus 30 in February 1900 when rehearsals were underway for the premiere of Marius Petipa and Alexander Glazunov's ballet The Seasons. The characters in its opening section are named Winter, Frost, Ice, Hail and (no surprise) Snow, and their dancing, paired with Glazunov's scintillating score, creates a perfect winter storm.
Jean Sibelius: 'The Diamond on the March Snow'
"Upon the driven snow there glitters a diamond so clear," begins this gorgeous Swedish-language song by Jean Sibelius, "never was a tear or pearl that had a greater shine." A reminder that nature — even in winter — is the mirror of our souls.