Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Xipeng (class of 2024) which can be enjoyed by moonlight.
Serenaded by the Moon
This is the one of my favorite playlists to have at midnight, either when I am with friends or just enjoy the time to be alone. Turn off the lights, and enjoy this beautiful night!
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Deisy (class of 2024) and features songs for the hopeless romantic.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Kiran (class of 2024) and features songs presented by UR’s Bollywood Jhatkas and Block Crew in a recent performance on campus.
Bollywood on the Block: The Sequel
Bollywood Jhatkas and Block Crew recently performed their second joint showcase, on March 25th. Here are some of the crowd’s favorite songs/remixes!
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.
The Elgar Cello Concerto is one of the most famous and recognized concertos written for solo cello. Composed by Edward Elgar in the aftermath of World War I, this concerto first debuted in 1919 (the same year in which it was written).
The work did not become a cornerstone of solo cello repertoire until a recording by Jacqueline Du Pré caught the attention of the public. Her recording was so captivating that Rostropovich is said to have removed it from his own repertoire after hearing her play.
This piece is one of my favorite cello concertos, and while I also believe that no one can play this better than Du Pré, I greatly enjoyed my time learning from this piece. It is absolutely a work that every solo cellist should play at least once in their career!
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Marissa (class of 2025). It’s called “Brain Scratch.”
Brain Scratch
Ever listen to a song that scratches a certain itch in your brain? Or, in other words, a song that no matter how many times you listen to it, you can’t seem to get tired of it? I like to refer to those as “brain scratch songs”. This playlist describes that feeling for me, and I hope it will for you as well.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! To day we feature a collection of Riot Grrrl music curated by Music Library Associate Melanie.
Riot Grrrl
Riot grrrl began in the early 1990s as a DIY, feminist punk movement. Riot grrrl saw girls as a “revolutionary soul force” with the power to disrupt the status quo; rejecting social constructs of how women were supposed to look and behave; and zeroing in on personal and political discussions of sexism, sexuality, sexual violence, female empowerment, racism, ageism, homophobia, fat shaming, and able-bodiedism.
The riot grrrl movement allowed women their own space to create music and make political statements about the issues they were facing in the punk rock community and in society.
This playlist is inspired by the Music Library’s current exhibit: “Girls to the Front: The Riot Grrrl Revolution” which you should come to the library to take a look at should you have the time or inclination.
It features riot grrrl music from the 1990s(ish), and tracks by fellow travelers, antecedents and descendants.
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.
It is an ancient Greek legend about the story of two lovers that ends up with them being separated by the Underworld for eternity. Singer and songwriter Anaïs Mitchell released her fourth album inspired by this famous tale, with a twist, back in 2006. It has been advertised as a “folk opera” which eventually became a stage production in 2019.
Hadestown tells the story of two lovers, Orpheus and Eurydice, trying to get through times of economic hardship. Unlike the original tale which highlights the location of the Greek Underworld, the stage production depicts a hellish industrial version of it. Orpheus reassures Eurydice that by composing songs he will find a solution to all their problems (“Wedding Song”). Other characters in the story are Hades, the ruler of a town where citizens are exploited for their labor, and Persephone, the beautiful and kind wife of the tyrant that rules Hadestown.
When Eurydice, unsure about Orpheus’ ability to provide for them, gets convinced by Hades to seek a better life in Hadestown, Orpheus sets on a journey to find her, which becomes the premise of the musical.
This successful musical, written by Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin, was a winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
Hadestown was the first musical I ever saw live when it began being performed in 2019. Not only does the story provide an original twist on a great classical tale, but also, the composition of the songs make this a stellar performance. The cast featuring Eva Noblezada and André De Shields have provided high quality performances for the last couple of years which help make this musical even more worth giving it a listen.
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.
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.
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.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features some Russian songs from the 2000s-2010s.
Early on the Other Side of the World
This playlist includes Russian songs from the early 2000s, and some from 2010s. I myself am not Russian, but these songs were commonly heard on TV growing up in Georgia, very early in my childhood.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Christine (class of 2025) and features music you might encounter in an indie bookstore.
Indie Bookstore
This collection of songs makes me want to get lost in a bookstore and read for hours on end, probably with a cup of coffee and (hopefully?) petting the resident cat.
