Gateway Sonata 25/01/21

For as long as I can recall, my dad, always being the first one up in our household, has left Radio 3 softly playing on in our kitchen every morning. Meaning that by the time I make my way down for breakfast, I find myself preluding my day with Bach, and getting busy to Debussy. I guess he must think it makes us seem cultured.

Recently, much like several thousand other people, I’ve become engrossed in the Netflix series ‘Bridgerton’, an 18th century regency drama which, in addition to debutante scandals and drawing room debacles, also boasts a beautiful classical score. The attraction to which, for many viewers and listeners, my self included, is the recomposition of modern pop songs by a string quartet. However, interwoven amidst Ariana Grande and Celeste, the countless balls of the series are also embellished by the likes of Haydn and Shostakovich , both of whom regular classical music listeners will be horrified to learn I find equally as pleasing; certainly we’re all the (Mark) Richter for the recomposition of Vivaldi at any rate. 

To add a bit of context, I have a tendency to become weekly obsessed with one thing at a time before moving on to next week’s fascination. Hence why, when I was reading Akala’s ‘Natives, race and class in the ruins of Empire’, my spotify streaming consisted of clever rhymes and racially focussed word-play. Whereas this week, it’s all about Shonda Rhimes and the drama of Austen’s day. 

You can only imagine then Tony’s disappointment when, upon entering my room and hearing elegant melodies and diatonic harmonies, believing exposure to morning symphonic broadcasts to have finally cultivated an interest in his impressionable daughter of such classical artistry, I revealed that it was in fact the Bridgeton soundtrack. Consoling myself with having finished the series by reimagining all of the scenes accompanied by it’s classical compositions. 

However, whilst my dad is downhearted that it’s not his influence but rather that of Kris Bower (the composer of Bridgerton’s soundtrack) that has me finally swapping out Taylor Swift for Franz Liszt, (or at least favouring the orchestral version of ‘Wildest Dreams’ over the original). I think it’s a role he’s happy to surrender. I’m not sure how much more ‘Country FM’ the man could take.