New CDs for January 2022
Orchestral, Concertos and Chamber Music
Eighth Blackbird – Singing in the Dead of Night
Henry Hadley – Afterglow: The Forgotten Works for Cello and Piano
Jazz
Wayne Shorter – Emanon
William Sweatman’s Original Jazz Band – Jazzin’ Straight Thru’ Paradise
Opera, Opera Excerpts, Choral Music and Art Songs
William Grant Still – The American Scene
William Grant Still – Highway One, USA
Popular Music
Angels vs. Aliens – Eleven Shades of Crimson
A New Dawn Fades – I See the Nightbirds
Emile Berliner – Etching the Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895
Kids Techno – The Harmony of Spheres
Various artists – Before Radio: Comedy, Drama, & Sound Sketches, 1897-1923
Parsons Playlists: Broadway’s Finest
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist features a selection of Broadway tunes curated by Music Library student manager Danny (class of 2023).
Broadway’s Finest
“Santa Fe” from Newsies
“Defying Gravity” from Wicked
“I’m Not A Loser” from Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical
“I’d Rather Be Me” from Mean Girls
“Freeze Your Brain” from Heathers
“Tonight At Eight” from She Loves Me (2016)
“I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables
“The Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera
“More Than Survive” from Be More Chill
“Prologue/The Day I Got Expelled” from The Lightning Thief
“What Baking Can Do” from Waitress
“Waving Through A Window” from Dear Evan Hansen
“Dust and Ashes” from Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
“One Fine Day” from Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
“Dear Theodosia” from Hamilton
“Just Another Day” from Next To Normal
“Say My Name” from Beetlejuice
“Tonight Belongs to You” from The Prom: A New Musical
“Welcome to the Renaissance” from Something Rotten!
“That Face” from Dogfight
“Grow For Me” from Little Shop of Horrors
Here’s the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZewGPd58vomkfAoKzV0YQyw2
And here is an extended edition on Spotify:
Arachnophonia: Karelia Overture Op. 10 Jean Sibelius
Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Allison (class of 2022) and features a streaming audio version of the “Karelia Overture” by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Thanks, Allison!
Jean Sibelius – Karelia Overture Op. 10
Karelia Overture Op. 10 was the first piece in the Karelia Suite written by Jean Sibelius in 1893. The suite was premiered by the Viipuri Students’ association at the Imperial Alexander University in Finland during the same year. The Karelia Suite is one of Sibelius’ most popular works.
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was a very well-known Finnish composer and violinist. In fact, his music is often credited for helping develop Finland‘s national identity whilst the country struggled for independence from Russia. Sibelius began playing violin at age ten and soon became a very successful violinist. Despite his success in the instrumental realm, he decided he would rather become a composer. He studied music at the Helsinki Music Institute and then in various cities across Europe while launching his own career in composition. Fun fact: the Helsinki Music Institute is now known as the Sibelius Academy.
Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
I was first introduced to Sibelius my junior year of high school when I played Karelia Overture Op. 10 with my youth orchestra. I was very drawn to the piece because of its grandiosity and utilization of brass instruments. While I have since played other Sibelius pieces in youth orchestra and here at Richmond, Karelia Overture Op. 10 is my all-time favorite.
Parsons Playlists: Sounds of Bedroom Pop
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist features a selection of bedroom pop tunes curated by Music Library student manager Christian (class of 2023).
This playlist features popular and obscure artists with a unique do-it-yourself sound.
Dayglow – “Can I Call You Tonight?”
Cavetown – “Boys Will Be Bugs”
Wallows featuring Clairo – “Are You Bored Yet?”
Sunflower – “Rex Orange County”
Danny Dwyer – “Chinatown Market”
Abhi the Nomad – “Somebody to Love”
Sarcastic Sounds – “say goodbye”
Charlie Burg (feat. Bluets) – “Lovesong (The Way)”
khai dreams feat. Atwood – “All I Need”
Here’s a link to the full playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZeyS3iWm8EQNgM_TJuJdBATT
Arachnophonia: The Last 5 Years
Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student assistant Nicole (class of 2024) and features vocal selections from the musical The Last 5 Years. Thanks, Nicole!
The musical The Last 5 Years, written by Jason Robert Brown, is not the typical musical theatre love story. The story is about the failed marriage of a young actress named Cathy (played by Anna Kendrick in the 2014 movie version) and a young writer named Jamie (played by Jeremy Jordan in the movie version) who, in trying to find a balance between a successful career and a healthy relationship, end up hurting each other. However, the story is being told by both parts of the relationship that are living the same story in different timelines: Cathy starts singing about the end of her marriage in “Still Hurting”, but the following song, “Shiksa Goddess” is sung by Jamie five years before when he had just met Cathy. The Last 5 Years conveys these two different timelines with distinct chord progressions and instrumentation for the songs of each character respective to their timeline, representing how a story should be looked at from different perspectives before taking a stance.
This score includes most of the songs in the musical, such as “Still Hurting,” “Shiksa Goddess,” “Moving Too Fast,” and more. The scores are useful for any beginner-intermediate piano player or musical theatre singer who loves this heartbreaking musical.
Arachnophonia: Enrique Granados “Goyescas”
Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student assistant Eli (class of 2024) and features Goyescas, a piano suite by Spanish composer Enrique Granados. Thanks, Eli!
Enrique Granados is undoubtedly one of the great ‘what-ifs?’ of classical music. Born in Lleida, Spain in 1867, Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados y Campiñabegan studied music as a teenager, but was unable to attend a formal conservatory. Instead, Granados relied on private lessons and individual practice, eventually exploring composition.
His first real success was the 1898 opera Maria del Carmen, receiving critical acclaim for his composition and conducting. The Spanish King, Alfonso XIII, even attended a performance.
Granados continued composing and performing at a small scale for the next decade, but found his career take off with his piano suite Goyescas which premiered in 1911. Based on the paintings of Fransisco Goya, the works were incredibly popular, leading Granados to compose an opera based on the same themes. This opera became world-renowned after it opened in New York City (the European premiere was canceled due to the outbreak of World War One), and Granados was invited to perform for President Woodrow Wilson.
“A walk in Andalusia” – Francisco Goya (1777)
Unfortunately, Granados perished shortly afterwards, drowning when his boat back to Europe was sunk by a German U-boat. Had Granados stayed in his cabin (half of the ship was untouched) or turned down the New York premiere, his name could have become household in the world of classical music. I highly recommend listening to the Goyescas suite, especially “Quejas o la Maja y el Ruiseñor”, or “Laments, Or the Maiden and the Nightingale.”
Enrique Granados poses with a canine friend
Arachnophonia: The Killers “Hot Fuss”
Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Danny (class of 2023) and features the Killers’ 2004 album Hot Fuss. Thanks, Danny!
Everybody – and I mean everybody – seems to know the Killers from one song: “Mr. Brightside.” The song has become a party and nightclub staple, garnering tons of partygoer enthusiasm as everyone shouts the lyrics in unison.
But what if I said that although it is the group’s most popular song, it is not one of their best songs? What if I said that the Killers have been very prominent in the alternative rock industry for years, pumping out album after album over the years, with some of the core members remaining in the band for its entire existence?
I can go on for hours talking in-depth about every single one of the Killers’ albums, from Hot Fuss all the way to Pressure Machine. My favorite album of all time, Sam’s Town, is also by the Killers. However, in terms of popularity, I feel that Hot Fuss takes the awards. Therefore, to appeal to the general public of those reading this post, my focus will be on this 45 minute masterpiece.
Hot Fuss was released on June 7th 2004 and reached seventh on the Billboard 200. Although being extremely popular in America, the album was actually more of a commercial success in Ireland and England. This album, was the beginning of a 17 year (and counting) career. It was the very first album by the Killers and has been the one that most people adore most.
The track list is absolutely amazing. The four band members, Brandon Flowers, Ronnie Vannucci, Dave Keuning, and Mark Stoermer each had significant roles in writing most of the songs. Vanucci, the drummer of the band, had the least writing credits on the album, but only 3 of the 11 songs on the album were written alone by Brandon Flowers. The rest all involved some sort of mix of the 4.
One of the most interesting easter eggs within the album is the connection between two of the songs and “Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf” which was included in their album Sawdust (a compilation of unreleased songs). The two songs in Hot Fuss that are connected are “Jenny was a Friend of Mine” (the opening track) and “Midnight Show.” The three songs all tell the story of a criminal case concerning Robert Chambers.
This was also the album that featured the anthem “Mr. Brightside.” Some other notable songs of theirs include “Smile Like you Mean It,” “Somebody Told Me” and “All These Things I’ve Done.”
Despite these being the most popular songs on the album, the tracks I have enjoyed the most are “Everything Will be Alright,” “Believe me Natalie,” and “Change your Mind.” The second of the trio is the most upbeat and encapsulates most of the rock elements the Killers were known for. The other two are much slower and are just as good in my opinion.
In conclusion, Hot Fuss is one of my all time favorites. My ranking for all Killers albums goes as follows:
1. Sam’s Town
2. Hot Fuss
3. Day & Age
4. Battle Born
5. Imploding the Mirage
6. Sawdust
7. Wonderful Wonderful
8. Pressure Machine
Parsons Playlists: Holiday Mix 2
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a SECOND playlist of holiday music. This one is curated by Music Library student manager Allison (class of 2022).
Here is a playlist of Christmas songs I enjoy:
Paul McCartney – “Wonderful Christmastime”
John Lennon & Yoko Ono with the Harlem Community Choir – “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”
Brenda Lee – “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”
Mariah Carey – “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
Bobby Helms – “Jingle Bell Rock”
Michael Bublé – “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”
Mariah Carey – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
Chuck Berry – “Run Rudolph Run”
Kelly Clarkson – “Underneath The Tree”
Band Aid – “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (1984 version)
Ariana Grande – “Santa Tell Me”
The Beach Boys – “Little Saint Nick” (1991 remix)
Here’s a link to the full playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zez11FS6ssT_lzS1yoJDiRnX
Parsons Playlists: Holiday Mix
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a selection of holiday music curated by Eli (class of 2024).
Tired of hearing the same few Christmas songs over and over? I’m not! But in case you do wish to branch out, here are ten Christmas songs you may not have heard.
David Phelps – “Catching Santa”
Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters – “Mele Kalikimaka”
Stevie Wonder – “Someday At Christmas”
Mariah Carey ft. Ariana Grande & Jennifer Hudson – “Oh Santa!”
Paul McCartney – “Wonderful Christmastime”
Victor C. Johnson – “Stars I Shall Find”
Louis Armstrong – “Zat You, Santa Claus?”
Leslie Odom, Jr. – “The Christmas Waltz”
Stevie Wonder – “What Christmas Means To Me”
Here’s a link to the full playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZewOxwXb5rdEE4pWs3vYSaue
Arachnophonia: Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism
Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student assistant Eliana (class of 2024) and features a book that takes a deep dive into the 2016 Beyoncé album Lemonade from a feminist/LGBTQ+ perspective. Thanks, Eliana!
Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism
by Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley
Beyoncé in Formation offers a deep-dive into the lyrics and meaning of Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade through a Black feminist and LGBTQ+ lens, creating a deeply nuanced and complex view of the Billboard #1 album.
Tinsley effectively combines her personal life, renowned Black feminist and LGBTQ+ artists, and Beyoncé’s album into one cohesive story wherein she breaks down the ways in which Beyoncé’s album is not only a Black-empowerment album, but an album that introduces complex feminist and LGBTQ+ ideas rarely seen in mainstream music.
I originally picked up this book because I love picking apart lyrics and delving into hidden messages in songs and music videos, however I quickly realized that it would be about much more than song inspection. I appreciate the way in which Tinsley was able to integrate her life into the greater story of Black feminism in a way that felt raw and real, much like the rest of the book. She doesn’t dance around any subject, and no subject matter is too grandiose to take on. Whether it’s gender and sexuality, racism, or the history of music, Tinsley covers it all.
Of course, this book would be nothing without the album Lemonade itself. The CD is also available at Parsons Music Library — feel free to check out both the CD and the book to heighten your experience!
Picture of the author (Eliana class of 2024) at a Beyonce concert in 2016