February Playlist: On Wings of Love
From the heights of euphoric affection to the torrents of unrequited desire, these musical selections paint a picture of the human heart, with all of its variegated palpitations.
For the month of February, we take listeners on a sonic journey through the many facets and folds of love. From the heights of euphoric affection to the torrents of unrequited desire, these musical selections paint a picture of the human heart, with all of its variegated palpitations.
We open with the thumping pulsations of Honey Dijon’s “Love Muscle”, a track that never fails to inject life and energy to the hungry ear. The quirkily synthetic beats of The Human League follow, in their fame-launching hit “Love Action”.
We bask in the romantic reverie of Chopin’s Cello Sonata, an anomaly in the composer’s pianistic compositional output. In the hands of Jacqueline du Pré and Daniel Barenboim, the sounds are caressed and nurtured to a saccharine effect.
Charlotte Gainsbourg’s dangerously catchy “Deadly Valentine” follows, an indie epic that is as alluring as its Renaissance-woman creator. Sade’s shadowy and smoky hit “Smooth Operator” paints a groovy picture of the con-man of Café society. Played by the operator’s irresistible game, we fall into the jazzy blues of Chet Baker’s rendition of “I Fall in Love Too Easily”.
The pregnant melancholy of Brahms’ sound world follows, in his late Sonata for clarinet and piano. In the slowly contemplative second movement, Andante un poco, Brahms offers an almost philosophical view on love. A lifelong bachelor, Brahms paints his thoughts through the dreamy sonic quality of the clarinet.
The opening clarinets of Björk’s “It’s Oh So Quiet” lead us into a different world altogether. In the style of big band jazz, the song is given a wackily intoxicating craze in the rollercoaster of Björk’s unmistakable voice.
We gaze towards the stars in Wagner’s celestial Wesendonck Lieder, a precursor to his epic love poem Tristan und Isolde. The final movement, “Traume” (Dreams) plants the seeds for the infamous love duet from his later opera.
Schumann’s confession of love, “Aveu” from his Carnaval for solo piano, follows - a poignant love letter conveyed here through the delicate touch of pianist Mitsuko Uchida. We then shift gears again for some good playful tickling of the ears - “Sugah Daddy” by masterful neo-soul artist D’Angelo.
“Killing Me Softly with His Song”, in its heartbreaking rendition by Roberta Flack, follows - a poignant calling card to the pangs and pains of love. The Mando-pop anthem “Duo Luo” by the iconic Faye Wong tells a tale of falling hard - indulgence, recklessness, never doubting, and forever feeling.
We end with some good, old-fashioned fun - the dance-inducing hit “Jump” by The Pointer Sisters. “Jump, jump for my love!”