31 Days of Classical, Day 4: Exquisite eruptions of beauty

Each day throughout July, I'll share with you a piece of classical music. Thirty-one days, thirty-one pieces.

The list is by no means definitive, nor is it necessarily a list of all of my favorite music from the classical world. Every morning, I start my day with music that inspires me in some way, whether I'm inspired by its happiness, its loneliness, the instrumentation, the harmony, the colors, the melody — each piece is special in some way — and offers an opportunity to either hear something you've never heard, or hear something new in a piece you've known your whole life.

Day 4: Maurice Ravel: Mother Goose Suite, Movement 5: "The Enchanted Garden"

This must be the music flowers make when they grow. Ravel wrote this for a couple of pianos initially, then arranged it for orchestra. The opening 20 seconds of this movement are some of the most beautiful 20 seconds you might ever hear, and the conclusion is one of the most stunningly exquisite eruptions of beauty in all of music history (from 15:41 to the end).

Take the 31 Days of Classical Challenge

31 Days is a bite-sized month-long trial of Classical Music from across the spectrum of the wonderful, expansive music we love at Classical MPR. Join the fun by subscribing to the 31 Days of Classical newsletter, or use #31DaysofClassical on Twitter or Facebook.

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