Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Eli (class of 2024) and features some relaxing ambient music.
Ambient
It can be important at times to check out, to calm the constant stimulation and sensory overload that is college life. When I am looking for some tranquility, I often casually listen to ambient, easy-listening music, letting my brain focus and unfocus on the song as it chooses. Here are some of my favorites.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia is a feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Erik Satie has long been one of my favorite composers for his ability to blend together subtlety and expressiveness to create an ambiance unlike any other artist. In his day, Satie struggled greatly to find support for his music, but his friendship with composer Claude Debussy proved valuable when Debussy offered to orchestrate two of Satie’s three “Gymnopédies”. Among Satie’s earlier works, Debussy saw great potential in “Trois Gymnopédies” and his orchestrations are still performed today, although Debussy disliked the second of the three and never orchestrated it. In this CD recording by the New London Orchestra, conductor Ronald Corp attempts to elucidate the same subtleties Debussy loved so much in Satie’s work with his orchestrations of Gymnopédie no. 2 as well as “Trois Gnossiennes”. This CD also features recordings of some of Satie’s ballets: Parade, Mercure, and Relâche. Each was met with mixed reviews at their debuts, but are now considered to be some of his finest works.
Erik Satie in 1920
I love to listen to Satie, especially the Gymnopédies, while I read or do work. Music historians often credit Satie as being one of the precursors to modern “ambient music”, and it’s easy to see why. Satie’s music lends itself equally well to thoughtful listening as it does to background enjoyment. If you’re looking for a CD to help you relax after a long week or accompany a good book, I highly recommend the New London Orchestra’s collection of recordings.
If you are looking for some chill, ambient studying music, or just looking for a break from your usual go-to playlist, look no further than Brian Eno’s The Shutov Assembly.
Eno is one of the pioneers of electronic and rock music production, and his style varies greatly from album to album. The Shutov Assembly, an electronic album, is ambient, dynamic, and deeply calming, making it perfect for some hardcore studying or just relaxing.