Parsons Playlists: Ineffable

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Esther (class of 2025) and features songs that do not need words to speak to us.

Ineffable

"Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different after they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish."

One of the many things I appreciate about music is how much it captures and conveys experiences that may be difficult to otherwise express verbally. Here are some songs that seem to speak without words.

“Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11” by Dmitri Shostakovich

“Rain” by Ryuichi Sakamoto

“Spring Song” by Felix Mendelssohn

“Flower Dance” by DJ Okawari

“Gymnopédie No.1” by Erik Satie

“Theme from Schindler’s List” by John Williams

“Salut d’Amour, Op. 12” by Edward Elgar

“Affections Touching Across Time” by Kaoru Wada

The Carnival of Animals: “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saëns

“Mia and Sebastian’s Theme” (from La La Land) by Justin Hurwitz

The Planets: “Jupiter” by Gustav Holst

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zew5oEU_taWdXjzZWRme_TGs&si=YXnKbqGAH33jptbt