November
MUSIC Information:
- All Year Round Music
- C Major/A Minor
- 48 Measures
- Cello and Piano
- 2:44 min
- 4 Pages
“Fallen leaves lying on the grass in the November sun bring more happiness than the daffodils.” — Cyril Connolly
BEFORE WINTER
I’ve always liked autumn, especially the month of November, which gives us in the Northern Hemisphere a welcome break from the intense heat we endure during the long summer months. The air begins to cool, the days grow shorter, and there’s a quiet sense of change in the world around us Moreover, November’s mild temperatures offer a peaceful pause—a gentle warning, if you will—before the cold days of winter fully arrive.
November gives the impression of being an exceptionally indecisive month: It is neither cold nor hot, and the days are neither long or short. If I may presumed to know how to count, November is not the beginning of the year, yet not quiet the end. The trees are not fully bare, nor they still have all their leaves. If I look around carefully, nature itself seems uncertain_ unsure of what to do in this moment of quiet change.
SOME CHANGES
November comes from the Latin word novem, which means "nine." It retained its name even after the Romans added January and February to their calendar. Changes to the calendar were influenced by several factors, including lunar cycles, religious and secular holidays, political agendas, the harvest season, and the desire for greater accuracy.
This time of year is perhaps the happiest for me. If I could regroup the seasons, I would stretch Autumn to last ten months. The rest of the year would be divided between spring, lasting forty-five days, and winter, a brief two weeks. Did anybody mention Summer? I imagine, I'd get rid of the bastard altogether!
Rearranging the seasons this way could be a dream come true — it would make for the perfect year, even though Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, as we know it, would no longer exist. I do wish for many things, but they are just wishes. Some of them don’t mean much; others mean even less than the previous ones.
A TRAGIC SIDE
I do, however, feel that something in the air arrives along with November. I sense that something is ending and something exciting is taking its place — a brand-new beginning, filled with projects and good intentions. November could easily be the dawn of a fresh, thrilling new year and, at the same time, a gentle farewell to the one that’s ending.
Yet November also has a tragic side. It is a time when things change rapidly, leaving me somehow empty, because nothing remains the same. There is a poem by the English poet Thomas Hood that speaks to this sense of emptiness. It captures November’s quiet melancholy — the way the world seems to fade, yet whisper of what’s to come. He understood that strange stillness between endings and beginnings, when the year exhales and everything feels suspended in time. In his poem "No!, Hood writes:
No sun - no moon!
No morn - no noon -
No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! -
November!
November Rain by Gun's and Roses is one of the band's most iconic songs_ an emotional ballad that also speaks of emptiness, darkness, and the pain of falling out of love_ a reflection of the changes we all face. The poem is about holding on while knowing that letting go might be inevitable.
When I look into your eyes
I can see a love restrained
But darlin' when I hold you
Don't you know I feel the same?
Nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain
LIGHTER AND BRIGHTER
Despite all the negativity one might associate with November, it remains, for me, the happiest time of the year. Contrary to Hood’s poem and the rock band’s song, and as if to reinforce the joyful moments I have experienced, I have written a piece to highlight November’s lighter, brighter side.
Capturing the joyful energy floating in the air — a powerful force mingled with the lingering darkness on the earth during November — was like falling in love all over again. The acute ache in my heart was both welcoming and uncomfortable, but in the end, the message was too clear to ignore.
FALLEN LEAVES
The melody calls for receptiveness, asking me to be present at every turn. It seems to say: take a deep breath, go on, stop and smell the roses — just be human. The allegro in the key of C major felt, to me, like the perfect concoction for a lighter piece of music.
If you happen to be listening to this piece, I believe you would feel November’s powerful presence. As autumn gradually turns into winter, I hope you take a moment to appreciate the simple details — the crisp fallen leaves scattered across the grass at the beginning of the season, the soft chill in the air, and the quiet beauty that often goes unnoticed.