November is a month of change: warm reds and yellows fade to cool blues and grays. There is a certain bleakness about November – like being alone. Not necessarily lonely – just alone.
German composer and pianist, Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel (1805-1847) depicts November in a piano piece called “November.” It’s from a larger cycle called Das Jahr or The Year. It evokes a dark, dank, gloomy atmosphere, but with a glimmer of hope that change is coming. November is often a metaphor for change.
The tone poem November Woods by British composer Arnold Bax (1883-1953) evokes a moody November. The piece is inspired by the composer’s impression of a stormy November day. (And by his turbulent personal life at the time. He was involved in a complicated love affair, and his marriage was falling apart. Bax’s life was changing, and he expressed it in November Woods.
November inspired the great Russian composer, Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). In The Seasons, he depicts November in a miniature called, “In the Troika.” It’s a musical portrait of a horse-drawn sleigh ride – a refreshingly lighthearted look at November with its folksy tune and galloping horses.
My favorite November music is by Vince Guaraldi (1928-1976). His soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is pure nostalgia for me. It takes me back to the 1970s when I was just a little guy watching cartoon specials in my living room with my brother and sister. We had no VHS tapes, DVDs, DVRs, or streaming services back then, so if you missed your favorite holiday special, you had to wait until next year to see it. And you cried. Oh, how times have changed.
November is, indeed, a month of change. But then again, so is every other month. Grandpa was right; the only constant in life is change.
