New CDs for April / May 2017
Classical
Catalyst Quartet – Bach/Gould Project / J.S. Bach
Antal Dorati – Antal Dorati Conducts Satie, Milhaud, Auric, Francaix, and Fetler
Alberto Ginastera / Heitor Villa-Lobos / Jose Evangelista – Concerto for Strings / Suite for Strings / Airs d’Espagnes for String Orchestra
Franz Xaver Mozart / Muzio Clementi – The Classical Piano Concerto
Carl Nielsen – Aladdin Suite / Pan and Syrinx / Saga Dream / Maskarade Overture / Helios Overture
Rachel Barton Pine – Capricho Latino
Rachel Barton Pine – Testament: Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin / J.S. Bach
Louis Spohr – Violin Concertos Nos. 6, 8, and 11
Alberto Williams – Musica para piano Volume 1
Jazz
Pat Metheny – The Unity Sessions
Pop / Rock / R&B
Drake – Views
The Killers – Hot Fuss
Miramar – Dedication to Sylvia Rexach
Adriano Viterbini – Film [O] Sound
Various Artists – Boombox 1: Early Independent Hip Hop, Electro and Disco Rap, 1979-1982
Vocal/ Choral Music
Ian Bostridge – Shakespeare Songs
Thomas Lloyd – Bonhoeffer: A Choral-Theater Piece
Arachnophonia: The Color Purple
Editor’s Note: Our music review column “Spider Sounds” has had a name change and will now be known as “Arachnophonia”. The name has changed, but the idea remains the same — members of the UR community can share their thoughts about items 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 comes courtesy of Music Library student worker Susie (class of 2019), and features the 2005 cast recording for the Tony award winning Broadway adaptation of The Color Purple. Thanks, Susie!
This is one of the best cast recordings for a Broadway musical I have ever listened to. Often it can be difficult to understand the musical and truly appreciate it when you only listen to the soundtrack without ever seeing the show. The Color Purple is different, the plot, heartbreaks, triumphs, and best moments are all captured within the cast recording.
While listening to the “Opening/Mysterious Ways”, the listener can imagine being in this small town filled with gossip and hardships.
In the series of songs “Big Dog”, “Lily of the Field”, and “Dear God” the listener is experiencing horrific events with Celie and mourning with her. Even a person who does not have strong faith can feel the glory of God in the musical’s title song “The Color Purple”. And the strength Celie shows in her songs “Miss Celie’s Pants” and “I’m Here” can give any listener the strength to get through the toughest of times. This soundtrack gives listeners the incredible experience of listening to an amazing musical, but it also takes listeners on Celie’s journey to hell and back and her strength and wisdom can lift up anyone.
I recommend laying back, closing your eyes, and letting this cast recording take you on a journey that will surprise and uplift you.
Cover of the Playbill for the 2016 revival of the show — which won the Tony award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2017.
New CDs added in March!
New CDs for March 2017
Classical
Frederic Chopin – Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Jessie Montgomery – Strum: Music for Strings
Carl Nielsen – Symphony No. 1 op. 7/ Little Suite, Op. 1
Louis Spohr – Violin Concertos 7, 9 & 10
Ingolf Turban – Violin Concertos by Bruch, Busoni and Strauss
Jazz
Stefon Harris – Ninety Miles
SF Jazz Collective – Wonder: The Songs of Stevie Wonder
Bluegrass
Nefesh Mountain – Nefesh Mountain
Ballet, Musical Theatre and Motion Picture Music
Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle – Sissle and Blake sing Shuffle Along
Geoffrey Simon – French Ballet Music of the 1920s
Frank Zappa – 200 Motels: The Suites
Vocal Music
Christian Gerhaher – Mahler: Orchestral Songs
Christian Gerhaher – Mozart: Arias
Arachnophonia: Carlo Gesualdo “Complete Sacred Music For Five Voices”
Editor’s Note: Our music review column “Spider Sounds” has had a name change and will now be known as “Arachnophonia”. The name has changed, but the idea remains the same — members of the UR community can share their thoughts about items 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 comes courtesy of Music Library Student worker Erin (class of 2017), and features some sacred choral music by Italian Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo. Thanks, Erin!
Complete Sacred Music for Five Voices
If you’re looking for some relaxing study music, you should definitely check out Gesualdo’s CD of Complete Sacred Music for Five Voices!
This collection of choral pieces was written by Carlo Gesualdo di Venosa around the year 1600, and is entirely a capella. This specific recording from 1993 is by the Oxford Camerata, a group created for the specific purpose of making music from the medieval and renaissance periods more accessible. This music was written before more recent Western ideas of musical keys and common practice period chordal structure came about, so the way Gesualdo weaves chords and cadences together is very unusual and beautiful to my ears.
If you enjoyed this CD, I’d also recommend another CD of Gesualdo’s music that the music library carries — the Hilliard Ensemble’s 1991 recording of Tenebrae. The polyphonic style (or multiple voices singing different lines at once) of this piece is more on the darker/serious side because of the topic material (the Passion of Christ). The Latin text is translated in the CD’s notes in English, so you can follow along with it as well if you’re wondering what they’re actually saying!
It’s a really long and really gorgeous piece that always helps me find a sense of peace and relaxation amongst the craziness of college life.
Enjoy!
Portrait of Carlo Gesualdo, principe de Venosa (ca. 1560-1613) by an anonymous artist
New CDs added in February!
New CDs for February 2017
Classical
Francis Poulenc – Gloria for soprano solo, chorus and orchestra
Charles Rosen – The Complete Columbia and Epic Album Collection
Pop/Rock/R&B
The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
The Avett Brothers – True Sadness
De La Soul – And The Anonymous Nobody
Prince – HITnRUN Phase One
Prince – HITnRUN Phase Two
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Jill Scott – Woman
A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here Thank You 4 Your Service
Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface
Musical Theatre
Jay Kuo – Allegiance: Original Broadway Cast Recording
New CDs added in January!
New CDs for January 2017
Blues
Alan Lomax – Parchman Farm: Photographs and Field Recordings: 1947-1959
Classical
John Adams – Scheherazade.2
Franz Berwald – 4 Symphonies
Johannes Brahms – Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, Waltzes, Op. 39
Bartolomeo Campagnoli – Six String Quartets
Electronic Music
Mason Bates – Works for Orchestra
Jazz
Andy Gonzalez –Entre Colegas
Bob Mintzer – All L.A. Band
Ted Nash Big Band – Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom
Musical Theatre
Steve Martin & Edie Brickell – Bright Star: Original Broadway Cast Recording
Opera
Jennifer Higdon – Cold Mountain
Vocal Music
Christian Gerhaher – Ferne Geliebte
Christian Gerhaher – Mahler Lieder
Christian Gerhaher – Franz Schubert: Die schone Mullerin
Craig Hella Johnson – Considering Matthew Shepard
Anna Netrebko – Verismo
World Music
Anoushka Shankar – Land of Gold
New CDs added in November/December!
New CDs for November & December 2016
Avant Garde Music
Rhys Chatham – Pythagorean Dream for Guitar, Flutes & Trumpet
Blues
Pinetop Perkins – After Hours
Pinetop Perkins – Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie
Pinetop Perkins – Portrait of a Delta Bluesman
Choral Music
Tonu Korvits – Mirror
Classical
Michael Daugherty – Tales of Hemingway
Henri Dutilleux – The Centenary Edition
Eighth Blackbird – Hand Eye
Ieuan Jones – Schubert by Ieuan Jones, Harp
Hugo Kauder – Rediscovering Hugo Cauder
Steve Reich – Double Sextet / Radio Rewrite
The Russian Guitar Quartet = A Tribute to the Mighty Handful
Jazz
Melissa Aldana – Back Home
Ron Carter Quartet & Vitoria Maldonado – Brasil L.I.K.E.
Snarky Puppy – Culcha Vulcha
Pop/Rock/R&B
Rhys Chatham – Harmonie du soir
The Julie Ruin – Hit Reset
Madness – Madness 7
Madness – One Step Beyond …
Vocal Music
Lawrence Brownlee – Allgro io son: Bel Canto Arias
Dialogos / Kantaduri – Dalmatica: Chants of the Adriatic
World Music
Ralph Samuelson – The Universal Flute
Spider Sounds: The Beatles “Abbey Road”
Editor’s Note: Spider Sounds invites members of the University of Richmond community to share their thoughts about items in the Parsons Music Library’s collection. The links included will take you to the library catalog record for the item in question, or to additional relevant information.
Today’s installment of Spider Sounds comes courtesy of Music Library Student worker Gabriela (class of 2020) and features Abbey Road, the last studio album by the Beatles. Thanks, Gabi!
Abbey Road may have one of the most recognizable album covers in all of rock music.
It is known for depicting the Fab Four walking across the famous London street near the studio where the Beatles did most of their recording. Apart from the iconic artwork, however, Abbey Road’s production quality and track list are undeniably stellar.
There are several stand out songs, like “Come Together,” “Something,” and “Here Comes the Sun,” which are individually famous and could be enjoyed on their own.
However, if you listen to Abbey Road from start to finish, it is almost as if the entirety of the album is one song. The transitions from track to track are so perfect, that the flow of listening is almost medley-like.
An out-take from the August 8, 1969 photo session for the album cover.
The album also highlights the talents of all band members, with some of George Harrison’s most beautiful songs (“Something” and “Here Comes the Sun”), Ringo’s quirkiness in “Octopus’s Garden”, and of course, the amazing harmonies between Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison in “Because” — a song that barely needs instruments.
Another out take from the album cover photo shoot
Abbey Road is my favorite Beatles record because it represents everything I think a record should. Abbey Road was the last album to be recorded by the Beatles, and throughout the last four tracks (especially in “The End Continue reading
Spider Sounds: Billy Joel
Editor’s Note: Spider Sounds invites members of the University of Richmond community to share their thoughts about items in the Parsons Music Library’s collection. The links included will take you to the library catalog record for the item in question, or to additional relevant information.
Today’s installment of “Spider Sounds” comes courtesy of Music Library Student worker James (class of 2017) and features a greatest hits compilation from American singer-songwriter & pianist Billy Joel. Thanks, James!
If your only experiences with Billy Joel are “Piano Man,” “Uptown Girl,”or maybe “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” — boy, are you missing out. We forgive you, but do yourself a favor and stop by the Parsons Music Library to check out Mr. Joel’s 1985 album, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II.
Billy Joel performs his first show of his Madison Square Garden residency, on Monday, January 27, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP)
We’re confident you will hear something incredibly thoughtful and provocative in nearly every track, whether it be in the melodies, timelessness, or even social commentary found in the lyrics. The worst thing that could happen would be gaining exposure to one of the most celebrated musicians of our time.
Spider Sounds: Moses Hogan
Editor’s Note: Spider Sounds invites members of the University of Richmond community to share their thoughts about items in the Parsons Music Library’s collection. The links included will take you to the library catalog record for the item (or items) in question, or to additional relevant information.
Today’s installment of “Spider Sounds” comes courtesy of Music Library Student worker Zach (class of 2017) and features African American pianist, conductor, and arranger of international renown, Moses Hogan. Thanks for contributing to Spider Sounds, Zach!
Choral and Vocal Arrangements of Moses Hogan: Volume One
Moses Hogan is renowned for his captivating arrangements of spirituals and hymns. Capturing the essence of African American spirit that has endured adversity throughout United States history, Hogan appeals to the Christian tales that are so ingrained within Black American culture. Parsons Music Library has two albums featuring Hogan’s work: Choral and Vocal Arrangements of Moses Hogan: Volume One (CD) and Negro Spirituals (online resource).
While the style of spirituals are fairly monorhythmic and repetitive, the harmonic layering and upbeat nature within each piece is unique and vibrant. Spirituals also have a tendency to use similar tunes throughout their history while allowing a personal spin on how they should be sung.
“Walk Together, Children”, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, and “Wade in the Water” are all fairly well-known spirituals that Hogan uses to put his own musical interpretation as to how to capture the sentiment and history behind it. Many well known scriptures are also revisited through these two albums that help to encapsulate the ethereal nature behind spirituals.
Moses George Hogan, born in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 13, 1957, was a pianist, conductor and arranger of international renown.
Even if a person does not have involvement within the Christian community, the artistic merit and joyful feeling behind these works is infectious and notable. Music is a universal language understood by all, regardless of background, interest, or creed. Moses Hogan’s work is simply another voice in the infinite meanings behind the untranslatable essence of music.
Editor’s note: you can also find performances of Hogan’s works as performed by various UR Music ensembles like Schola Cantorum and the Women’s Chorale in the Music Library’s collection — just ask at our front desk!