New Year, New Listening

This Week on MusicOfTheDay.co.uk

The first full week of January is a perfect moment to reset listening habits and explore a wide musical landscape. This week’s composers span Baroque drama, blues roots, radical modernism, film and television, and iconic popular music.

🗓 Week of 4–10 January

4 January – Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Italian Baroque composer whose expressive sacred music, especially the Stabat Mater, left a lasting mark despite his short life.

5 January – Elizabeth Cotton
American folk and blues musician whose distinctive guitar style and quiet storytelling influenced generations.

6 January – Alexander Scriabin
A visionary composer whose late piano works push harmony and mysticism to their limits.

7 January – Francis Poulenc
French composer of wit, warmth, and emotional depth, moving effortlessly between sacred, serious, and playful music.

8 January – Andrej Očenáš
Slovak composer and educator whose music reflects national identity and mid-20th-century musical change.

9 January – Vic Mizzy
Composer of instantly recognisable television themes, including The Addams Family – proof that short music can have huge impact.

10 January – David Bowie
Artist, innovator, and cultural icon whose music constantly reinvented itself while shaping popular culture.

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From Baroque Italy to modern pop culture, this week sets the tone for a year of curiosity, contrast, and listening without boundaries.