Arachnophonia: For the Audiophiles

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(s) in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Esther (class of 2025) and features our new portable record player and an opera LP to go with it. Thanks, Esther!

For the Audiophiles

Vinyl LPs

I love exploring different mediums of storage when it comes to art. I initially became interested in physical art forms because of film photography; as a musician, it was inevitable for me to stumble into the world of sound storage mediums. From VHS tapes to 8-track cartridges to cassette tapes to vinyl records, there were so many different forms of music over the years I did not know about. There seems to be controversy over what form sounds best, but we can respect all the different presentations!

LP stands for “Long Playing” due to the extended playing time (around 22 minutes per side) that resulted from the larger discs spinning at 33 ⅓ rpm. (As compared to EPs which are smaller and held about 10-15 minutes of material per side.) They are also referred to as vinyl records because of the material the physical discs are made of. These discs can transmit sound waves when placed on a turntable because the stylus placed on top of the disc moves through the small grooves along the record. As the stylus is reading, the tip of it vibrates and the microscopic bounces are transmitted along the bar. Ultimately, an electrical signal is generated and is played through the stereo speakers!

I appreciate the history of music storage forms, especially because of the wide availability we have for any song nowadays that significantly contributed to the relationship between the listeners and producers. Though I prefer the pros of digital music over analog with the technology we have today, the nostalgia of LP records is appealing as well. One of my fondest memories of growing up was listening to opera on the cassette tape player with my mother.

So, when I found out about a new addition to the music library — a portable record player — I had to recommend this LP to go with it!

Ten Tenors, Ten Arias

Ten Tenors Ten Arias LP cover

Though you are welcome to play it on your turntable, and in addition to the record player that lives in one of our study rooms, the Music Library also has a portable vinyl player available for anyone to check out for a week at a time!

Record Player

Arachnophonia: La Bohème

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 Puccini’s classic opera La Bohème. Thanks, Danny!

La Bohème

La Boheme Original 1896 poster by Adolfo Hohenstein

La Boheme Original 1896 poster by Adolfo Hohenstein

I was never an opera guy. It is not that I did not like opera. I just did not know about opera. I was never in a situation where opera came to the forefront of my mind. In other words, I was not exposed to opera. It was a distant thing to me; ladies singing on balconies with horned helmets and weird facial expressions to sing the difficult pieces tasked to them was my only frame of reference. When in a car with friends on a Friday night, nobody was putting on Verdi, Wagner, or Rossini. The store playlist of my high school job certainly was not playing the greatest opera arias known to man. Even the mainstream celebrities of today that people idolize so fiercely weren’t opera singers (although some deservedly should be).

And so, you cannot blame me that I grew up and more strongly resonated with the music of the day and the ones of my parents. Opera just does not show up in everyday life; in a way, you must go looking for it. Actually, for me to say I never engaged with opera is a bit of stretch. There are pieces that my dad has listened to or showed me. Most of the orchestral concerts I have been to have played a piece or two from a world renowned opera. Some movies contain them in their scores. And finally, some movies use these operas as their source material and are loosely based on them.

Despite that all being true, I cannot call myself an opera fan. I can’t because of how limited my exposure has been to the craft. Compared to the amounts I know of all other genres (minus country), I barely scraped the surface of operatic music. My knowledge was equivalent to knowing the ABCs, but only up until C. In the words of some of my peers, I was considered “a casual.”

But as with all things addictive, it only takes a taste for you to get hooked and interested. I only needed one person to expose me to this new world. I only needed one person to be able to convince me of its beauty. I only needed one person to show me how much this meant to them, as so that same joy could spread over me. And while some things addictive are not necessarily good for you, I am proud to say that mine is a much healthier alternative. And surprisingly, it only took a forced general education requirement where I am obligated to sit in a classroom for two and a half hours a week for fifteen straight weeks to introduce me to this world. I think that is a fair deal.

Anyways, I do not think that my professor really expected anyone to enjoy opera at the ages of 18-22. The music is so different from mainstream music and the norms of music today that it was not an outrageous guess for him to say we may find this a bit boring and uninteresting. That did not stop him though from hoping that it could resonate with us and perhaps make us find a new appreciation for it. Ultimately, I do think that about 70-80% of the class remained disinterested and will never watch an opera ever again (which is fine, at least you gave it a spin), but I am beyond surprised with how quickly I ended up enjoying and looking forward to class. I like to consider myself a man of music; I may not study music, or play music, or read music, or anything like that. However, I am a listener that does not have a narrow taste. I am familiar with music from all ages, across the world, and will give anything a listen at least once.
I personally have this rule that I will never listen to a piece for the first time needing convincing. I have a few friends like that where they need something to happen to convince themselves that the music is good. Or better yet, they already have a baseline standard of what is good music and judge the song based on how well it conforms to their already pre-existing baseline. I CANNOT STAND THAT. For me, I treat every piece individually and try to find the good in every piece. And so, most times, you are not ever going to hear from me that a song is bad. And I think in an even better vein, it has allowed me to appreciate all types of music and being able to know that although it is different, it still has redeeming and exceptional qualities that make the work good in its own right. Call it mature, or call it awesome or whatever, but I think that alone has been the biggest contributor to my interest in the course.

Boheme Met Opera

I knew the course would cover opera. I also knew that I was not very familiar with opera. I also knew that generally, younger audiences do not typically appreciate nor listen to opera. Finally, I knew that whatever my opinion of opera might be, I would have to at least give it a chance for fifteen weeks and do everything in my power to keep an open mind and take the course with excitement. And that was what put me in a different boat than the other 70-80% of my classmates.

I think the next logical point of attack for me to discuss would surround which opera we engaged with. This is the most important part. Just like most interactions, the first impression is the most important. And as a professor, that is a big task. You need to show us (your students) some of the most popular and captivating operas so that we are drawn to it. You need to try and wow us (even though I am easily wowed). You also need to not show us the best possible piece of the trade, or else your students may be set up for disappointment if they think all opera will be as good as this one. Personally, I think my professor did well. Looking at a totally definitive and set-in stone ranking by only one classical music website with no possibility of differing opinions allowed (no sarcasm found here), the opera chosen to be our gateway opera was ranked #2 all-time. That is comforting. If this ranking list was somehow ever able to be proven true, I could be reassured that I could lay my eyes on one piece that is considered better than the one I watched in my lifetime. And better yet, just because we watched #2, that does not mean that all the rest below are bad. It just means that in the eyes of that beholder, they are not as good, which could still mean these are excellent and grandiose spectacles of art.

The opera we watched was La Bohème. Speaking truthfully, the music, the set design, the acting, and the singing was flawless. The way opera singers can sing with such fullness and strength was just shocking. It felt as though iron lungs were placed in their bodies during set changes so that they would never run out of breath. I was amazed. In fact, I was so into it, I had to look up the spark notes of the plot while we just finished Act II because I did not want to wait a week and a half before we would finish it up. I also read a little about Giacomo Puccini, who wrote the opera and the score. I read about the history of the performances of La Bohème. I read about Luciano Pavarotti, one of the men most synonymous with the main protagonist. I read about other operas written during the time of La Bohème’s release. I looked up the most famous opera arias and listened to a handful of them to engage with the material better. I even went to the library and took out the sheet music for the opera and just flipped through it to see the complexity of the music for about a half an hour.

Pavarotti/Freni - La Boheme DVD cover

There was just something to it that touched the right chord. I guess I was just dying to find new music and try something new that I had come across opera at the exact right moment. Being so different, so grandiose, and so epic in comparison to the synthetic music of today just showed me how much more talent and how much more complex music was at the time. Music was not just something that sounded good. It was meant to envelop you, draw you in emotionally, play with your feelings, and take you on a journey. It was storytelling in the form of instruments and voice.

I could go on and on about the intricacy of the plot and what I think each part means and symbolizes, but I feel as though I would spoil too much. I want whoever is reading this to watch it for themselves and take it in the same way I did. What I will comment on is my favorite piece, and the characters themselves.

La-Boheme-Evan-Zimmerman-Met-Opera

The best piece of the opera in my opinion is “Che Gelinda Manina.” It is part of the first act in which Rodolpho, the main character, tells Mimi that her hands are cold, as well as a glimpse into who he is. I think I like it so much, because as a male who had done theater in high school, I understand just how hard it is to sing in general. Then, expanding my range to hit high and low notes was almost impossible because I was never trained. It was all breathy and from the back of my mouth/throat which is the exact way one will get laryngitis. And so, it is safe to say that I was not a very good singer, but did my best for it to come out alright. Taking that one step further, if I had to sing opera, it would have probably gone a little like this: the first couple notes are alright. I begin to run out of breath. The notes are getting higher. I find myself getting red in the face. My voice cracks. The song is ruined. The crowd boos. Career ended.

And so, I have personal experience that I can resort to that demonstrates how difficult opera singing is. Even better, to be good at opera is almost impossible (for me). The voice control, the range, the strength, and the projection is just something I cannot do. It is also noteworthy to point out that my voice is not very suitable. I am still waiting for that burly man voice to kick in if it ever does. Regardless, it is just a piece of art and it is one of the most sentimental and touching moments of the entire show.

It was so good and resonated with me so much, I checked out the score for the song. Seeing it was too complicated for me to probably play, I humbly put the book back into its place and remembered that my piano skills are equivalent to a fourth grade beginner.

boheme pvscore

As for the characters, there are only six main figures. There are two love plots: Mimi and Rodolpho and Musetta and Marcello. Rodolpho and Marcello are very good friends, find themselves in the same situation in life, and are almost inseparable, but the differences between the two’s love lives are extremely evident. The love that Mimi and Rodolpho share is pure, eternal, and perfect. This heavily differs from Marcello’s, which is fueled by arguments, envy, and distrust. The other two characters are Schaunard and Colline, who are the remaining two men that live in Paris with Rodolpho and Marcello.

Ultimately, I would have to say Rodolpho is my favorite character. I think Puccini purposely makes the viewer choose either Rodolpho or Mimi, as the entire plot is mainly focused on the love dynamic of the two. And, given that I am a male, I feel a stronger connection to Rodolpho’s characteristics, his plight, his insecurities, and his problems. It is also easier for me to place myself in his shoes and experience his pain firsthand even though I am only just a viewer. There is something about him that I like so much. Maybe it is his purity and selflessness. Maybe I just like that he made the ultimate sacrifice to see someone he loves so happy. Maybe it is his ability to remain happy even though there is no money to his name. I am not sure. Maybe it is a combination of all three.

Regardless, I never expected that I would be able to dive so deep into opera in just a few class periods. Learning about this new (ironic) style of music has given me a whole new world to explore and has broken up the monotony of the everyday listens that are a part of my life. I hope that me showing a little bit about the joy this opera and opera in general has brought me has convinced you to listen to me. I know it may be hard to believe me, but trust me on this one.
You do not even have to go far to pick it up. If you are a University of Richmond student, faculty, staff, or friend of the library, you too could immerse yourself with the wide collection of all sorts of resources on La Bohème. Stop by soon, and maybe we can chat about it if I am at the front desk!

Arachnophonia: Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)

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 Wonyoung (class of 2024) and features Mozart’s opera Le Nozze di Figaro. Thanks, Wonyoung!

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Marriage of Figaro cover to full score

Most people in the 21st century have forgotten the appeal of classical music. One of these includes operas and arias. A majority of people will have a general idea of Mozart but when asked to identify some of his works, they will only be able to associate him with only pieces that are played by just an orchestra. However, one of Mozart’s most well known works is Le nozze di Figaro.

Le nozze di Figaro is an opera that Mozart composed in 1786. It is rich in storyline with themes such as romance and revenge and as well as humor throughout to keep the audience engaged. With some of the most well known arias for opera singers being from Le nozze di Figaro, it is an opera that is worth looking into.

Opera may seem very dry at first but in reality it is just a play but rather than the dialogue being spoken, it is sung. Le nozze di Figaro is very special to me because it was the first opera I got to see live, but not only that it was performed by my voice teacher in South Korea to whom I credit everything I know how to do today. And so I would like to recommend Le nozze di Figaro from our Music library.

Arachnophonia: Romantic Arias

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 Esther (class of 2025) and features a CD collection of opera arias sung by tenor Jonas Kaufmann. Thanks, Esther!

Romantic Arias

Romantic Arias Jonas Kaufmann cd cover

If you frequent the music library, you may remember the question we had on our whiteboard last semester: do you listen to music when studying? If you do, this CD is something you should definitely check out.

Side note: the whiteboard questions are open for anyone to answer!

This CD is a collection of arias, or long accompanied songs for soloists, from a variety of romantic composers. The romantic era in music can usually be characterized by the introduction of chromatic harmonies and new chord progressions that “break” the rules of classical composition. They do not necessarily rely on resolving a melody or having a constant tempo throughout the piece. Romantic composers saw music as a medium to express human emotion and experience; it was seen as a way of communication.

Sung by my favorite tenor, this CD contains arias sung in Italian, French, and German. Jonas Kaufmann is a German operatic tenor noted for his versatility. You may remember seeing him as Don José in Carmen, but I personally became a fan after watching him in Massenet’s Werther. Check out this CD along with the CD players we have available for use in the library for your next study session!

Tenor Jonas Kaufmann

Parsons Playlists: Classical Singing Crossover

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we feature a collection of songs with a bit of new perspective on classical singing curated by student assistant Wonyoung (class of 2024).

Classical Singing Crossover

When we think of “Classical Singing” and “Opera”, it may be hard to approach because it may seem dry and far from modern day music. However, it does not always have to be so. Here is a playlist of Classical Singing Crossover into a more modern day style. It is on the upcoming in South Korea so here is a playlist that brings a new perspective.

Music notation design

“O Isis und Osiris” from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (ft. Franz Josef Selig, Bass)

“Nessun dorma” from Puccinis’s Turandot (ft. Yonghoon Lee, Tenor)

“Erlkönig” D. 328 by Franz Schubert (ft. Byeong-Min Gil, Bass-Baritone)

“Il Mondo” by Carlo Pes et al (ft. You Chae Hoon, Tenor)

“Starai con me” by Ornella D’Urbano (ft. You Chae Hoon, Tenor)

“E lucevan le stelle” from Puccini’s Tosca (ft. Minseok Kim, Tenor)

“La calunnia é un venticello” from Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (ft. Jun In-Ho, Bass)

“Libera” by Renato Zero (ft. Ku Bon Su & Park Ki Hun)

“Nelle tue Mani” (“Now We Are Free” from Gladiator) by Hans Zimmer et al (ft. Choi Sung Hoon, Jeong Min Seong, Park Ki Hun, & You Chae Hoon)

“La tua semplicità” by Jeff Franzel (ft. An Dong Young, Kim Sung-sik, Minseok Kim, & Park Hyun Soo)

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHE2uJabYdvZFXr3Q_OecuKYySaRhBwI8


Parsons Playlists: A Mini Collection of Mozart

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Xipeng (class of 2024) and features works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

A Mini Collection of Mozart

I have to say that my childhood was accompanied with Mozart’s music, and today’s playlist is all about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!

violin solo with orchestra

Mozart – Piano Concerto No.21 in C Major, K.467 “Elvira Madigan”: I. Allegro maestoso
Artist: Rudolf Buchbinder

Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-Flat Major, Op. 17, K. 595: I. Allegro
Artist: Rudolf Buchbinder

Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 13 in C Major, K. 415 – 1. Allegro
Artist: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

Mozart – Piano Sonata in C major, K. 330- 3rd mov. Allegretto
Artist: Mitsuko Uchida

Mozart – Piano Sonata in A minor, K. 310- 3rd mov. Presto
Artist: Mitsuko Uchida

Mozart – Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major (K. 313)
Artist: Sharon Bezaly, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra

Mozart – La Flute Enchantee – Der hölle Rache
Artist: Sabine Devieilhe

Mozart – Violin Concerto No.3 in G major, K216: I Allegro
Artist: Hilary Hahn

Mozart – Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, KV 219 “Turkish”: III. Rondeau
Artist: Bomsori Kim

Mozart – Piano Trio in G Major, K. 496
Artist: Clara Trio

Mozart – Piano Trio No. 1 (Divertimento), K. 254 in B-flat Major
Artist: Sean Cavanaugh, Nathaniel Shapiro, Kelly Knox

Mozart – Fantasia in D minor K. 397
Artist: Mieczyslaw Horszowski

Mozart – Flute Quartet No.1 in D Major, K.285
Artist: Ensemble Connect

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zexyj2fQfwVMgM2RqB25FRkP

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Arachnophonia: Carmen

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 Brianna (class of 2023) and features Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen. Thanks, Brianna!

Carmen

Carmen is a French opera composed by George Bizet that premiered in 1875. Since then, there have been numerous productions of Carmen, a few of which the Parsons Music Library has on DVD available to check out!

French opera is one of my favorite styles of opera, as it generally involves lots of dance numbers. This is due to the fact that when French opera began, ballet was a major component as the French thought Italian opera was lacking. Carmen was written in the French genre opéra-comique, which translates to “comedic/comical opera”. The story follows a naive soldier named Don Jose, who is seduced by Carmen and is ultimately led to his downfall.

The music is all but legendary, with the most famous pieces likely being “Los Toreadors” and “Habanera.” George Bizet will have you humming his tunes for days after you watch this opera! It is a fun, wild ride from start to finish and definitely worth checking out.

New CDs added: April 2021

New CDs for April 2021

Orchestral, Concertos and Chamber Music

Imani Winds – Imani Winds
Nikolai Kapustin – Piano Music Marc-Andre Hamelin

Nikolai Kapustin - Piano Music

Felix Mendelsson – Mendelssohn – Piano Works Vol. 5 Benjamin Frith
Robert Schumann – Kinderszenen : op. 15 ; Davidsbündlertänze : op. 6 ; Piano sonata no. 2 in G minor, op. 22 Angela Hewitt

Mendelssohn - Piano Works, Vol. 5

Musical Theatre Cast Recordings

Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss – SIX The Musical: Studio Cast Recording
Anaïs Mitchell – Hadestown: Original Broadway Cast Recording

SIX: The Musical

Alanis Morrisette and Glen Ballard – Jagged Little Pill: Original Broadway Cast Recording
Stephen Sondheim – Company – 2018 London Cast Recording

Jagged Little Pill - Cast Recording

Popular Music

Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fantastic Negrito – Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?
Miranda Lambert – Wildcard

Miranda Lambert - Wildcard

John Legend – Bigger Love
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Fito Paez – La Conquista del Espacio
Bobby Rush – Rawer Than Raw
Billy Strings – Home

Fantastic Negrito - Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?

The Strokes – The New Abnormal
James Taylor – American Standard
Thundercat – It Is What It Is
Toots and the Maytals – Got To Be Tough
Various Artists – Harmony In My Head: UK Power Pop & New Wave 1977-81

Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

Opera, Opera Excerpts, Choral Music and Art Songs

Metropolitan Opera – The Gershwins’ Porgy And Bess

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess

Gospel Music

P.J. Morton – Gospel According to PJ: From the Songbook of PJ Morton
Kanye West – Jesus Is King

Gospel According to PJ

Digital Resources: Met Opera on Demand

The Music Library has more resources available than physical items. We’re highlighting some of our digital resources, and including information about them as told by our student employees.

Today’s digital resource is:

Met Opera on Demand

Met Opera On Demand

Here is what student assistant Allison (class of 2022) had to say about this resource:

Met Opera on Demand is a resource put out by The Metropolitan Opera for college and university libraries. There is access to more than 700 full-length Met performances, featuring both audio and video recordings. Scrolling through, I saw that they have a recording of Nabucco.

https://www.metopera.org/

A still from the Metropolitan Opera’s 2016 production of Nabucco

This is of specific interest to me because I’ve played a piece from that opera in orchestra. It would be cool to watch to get a better sense of the context for the piece. This resource would be great for anyone studying music from operas or anyone who is interested in opera and wants to watch.”

Digital Resources: Grove Music Online

The Music Library has more resources available than physical items. We’re highlighting some of our digital resources, and including information about them as told by our student employees.

Today’s digital resource is:

Grove Music Online

Grove Music Online logo

Grove Music Online is an authoritative reference resource. It includes the full-texts of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, with updates and emendations.

Oxford Music online

Here is what student assistant Allison (class of 2022) had to say about Grove Music Online:

Grove Music Online is an extensive online music encyclopedia that provides detailed information on composers, their music, and other music scholarship. I like how the resource is run by an editorial board at Oxford University Press so that there isn’t much question regarding the credibility of the content. I looked up Paul Hindemith and George Gershwin and found a lot of information about each of their respective lives along with some articles about their work. Grove Music Online seems like a very valuable resource for researching composers and music in the classical/jazz field.”

George Gershwin composing at the piano. American composer,

George Gershwin (1898-1937)

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)