52 works in '25
Happy New Year! An exciting time of year to establish New Year's resolutions, to turn a new leaf and to start working towards achieving our goals. As we welcome 2025, I'm thrilled to share my new project, Listen 52:25. My name is Daniel Hutchins, and as a composer, I'm passionate about sharing the musical foundations which have shaped my musical upbringing. This year, I have set an exciting goal that I wish to achieve: listening to and discussing 52 pieces throughout 2025, divided into four captivating themes. All of this, with the hope of sparking new, unknown interests in your listening vocabulary.
Setting out four distinct themes will provide 13 weeks to listen and discuss each theme, allowing for enough time to take a deep dive and really feel familiar with each area by the end of the year. I aim to promote four key ideas to think about:
Discovery of lesser-known and new works.
Inspiration for your listening and creative pursuits.
Vivid storytelling and appreciation for how this is achieved through the art of composition.
Curiosity to foster discussions and explore beyond featured works.
Join me on a journey of discovery: we will look at minimalist composers and their works. This quarter of the year will delve into the essence of minimalism, unveiling its beauty and subtleties. This is a journey that hopefully we can share as we discover more and more minimalist masterpieces, together.
Experience the vibrant world of the traditional British brass band. I’ll spotlight compositions that have profoundly influenced my musical foundations, growing up, providing a platform for remarkable pieces which deserve to be on more major 'classical' stages.
Romanticism is synonymous with emotional and expressive storytelling. We will explore lesser-known works that have deeply touched me, sharing their poignant narratives with you, appreciating whilst not focussing too heavily on over-saturated works.
In the modern era, soundtracks play a pivotal role in shaping our cultural landscape. I’ll uncover hidden gems in the composition for stage and screen sphere, celebrating their masterful execution.
Tune in every Wednesday at 9am to join me on this exciting musical journey that I can't wait to share, here on my blog!
I will be adding to the official Listen 52:25 Spotify playlist, where you will be able to access recordings of the works which we discuss in this series and will grow with every week.
Content will be available on a weekly basis in various formats—blogs, podcasts, or video!
Happy listening, and here's to a musical 2025!
