Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features phonk, a subgenre of hip hop and trap music which is popular in Russia.
Phonk
Phonk songs, especially Drift phonk, usually use distorted/sampled sounds that most of us are familiar with. Regardless, these phonk songs sound quite different from those melodies you might know and love, to the point where you wouldn’t guess in a thousand years that music pieces that you listen to on a regular basis are used for their creation.
This phonk comes from Russia, however more recent works that become popular are in English (That is, of course, if they have any lyrics at all.)
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Kiran (class of 2024) and features songs inspired by Taylor Swift’s newest album Midnights.
Inspired by Taylor Swift’s Midnights
This playlist is inspired by Taylor Swift’s latest album. If you liked Midnights, check out these ten songs similar to her latest tracks!
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.
Peer Gynt tells the story of a man, Peer, who is in love with a girl he is not allowed to marry. After leaving home, he ends up in the hall of the Mountain King after being captured by trolls. The King of the Trolls upsets him when he refuses to marry the King’s daughter and become a troll. In the end, Peer barely makes it out by running away from the trolls. The piece “In the Hall of the Mountain King” plays when Peer insults the king, and the trolls start to chase him as he runs away.
The drama was written by Henrik Ibsen, who originally did not want the show to ever be performed. However, 7 years later, Ibsen changed his mind and asked Edvard Grieg to write the music for the production. The show premiered on February 24, 1876, in Mollergaden Theatre, Christiania, which is now Oslo, Norway. Grieg re-orchestrated the music before productions in Copenhagen, Denmark. During a revival of the show in 1902, he added new pieces to the show. The score was finally published a year after Grieg died, in 1908.
The piece starts out slow with quiet notes to simulate the quiet footsteps of Peer as he tries and sneaks away from the Troll King. The music grows louder as the trolls slowly get closer to Peer. The music swells as Peter starts running and fighting off the trolls, trying to get away.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Esther (class of 2025) and features an assortment of chamber music.
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”
One of my favorite aspects of chamber music is exploring the intimacy of its subtle expressions. Here are some of my top chamber music pieces (including some I’ve been gatekeeping).
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.
Bob Dylan is one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the 20th century. He has written over 500 songs throughout the span of his career, both for himself and other artists. His most famous works include “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” which became civil rights and antiwar anthems following the frustrations many Americans were facing in the 60’s. He has received a plethora of awards, including ten Grammys, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, and the Nobel Prize in Literature.
His book, 100 Songs, is a self curated collection of 100 of his most profound works. His lyrics adorn the pages, underscoring their poetic nature. If you’re a fan of Dylan’s work, the book is a must read. For me, seeing his lyrics sprawled across 200 pages deepens their significance and allure.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Marissa (class of 2025) songs celebrating the transition from summer to fall.
The Turn of the Seasons
This playlist starts out with that feeling of missing the warm weather and the ease of summer. As the songs go on, the listener feels more accepting of the new season, and is eventually overwhelmed by the excitement of leaves falling and sweater weather.
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.
Throughout my years in college, I have tried to expand my musical taste by asking friends to introduce me to some of their favorite artists. Along the way, a good friend of mine introduced me to Amy Winehouse, one of the best things in my life. My favorite song of hers has to be “You Know I’m No Good” and “Back to Black.” Her Back to Black album was on repeat for a long time in 2021 as I began to discover more of her work.
If people are interested in discovering new artists and songs, I recommend asking a friend or coming to the Parsons Music Library where there is a large collection of CDs and LPs to look through.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manger Brianna (class of 2023) and features songs to enjoy on a mid day car ride.
Mid Day Car Rides
These are my favorite songs to play when I am on the way home from a long day.
P.S. This playlist is even better if the windows are rolled down.
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.
Portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 13 in Verona, 1770
When we first hear the term “classical music,” we often think of great composers like Beethoven and Mozart. Despite his relatively short life, Mozart is known and celebrated for his prodigious musicality and influential compositions even to this day. But what was Mozart like? You may know several of his pieces, but have you taken the time to consider the person behind these famous pieces?
There’s no better way of being first introduced to Mozart’s private life than Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s Life by Robert Spaethling. Spaethling, a scholar of German literature of the 19th and 20th centuries and Mozart, has carefully chosen and depicted a compilation of Mozart’s letters spanning twenty-two years of the young composer’s life. Spaethling’s most recent edit of these letters provides us with the most accurate translation to appropriately convey Mozart’s nuanced personality.
Through Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s Life, we are invited to explore Mozart’s innermost thoughts and raw perspective of life. In addition to the analysis of the different voices that shine through in Mozart’s candid letters, Spaethling includes information, such as various life events throughout the composer’s life, that encourages us to think deeply and have greater appreciation for the person behind these great works.
