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.
Deemed by many “the greatest show on earth,” Live Aid was, and is still to this day, the largest benefit concert of all time. On July 13th, 1985, the biggest names in Pop and Rock music joined together at both Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia to raise money for the famine that left ⅕ of Ethiopia’s total population without food.
Huge stars including, but not limited to, Queen, Elton John, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, and Sting were all present across the two locations. In total, they raised more than $127 million towards famine relief – almost $330 million by today’s standards.
The four-disc DVD set of the event is available at Parsons Music library. In its case, you’ll see photographs from the concert, as well as a pamphlet that contains the first draft of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” two pages from the original Live Aid program, and various facts about the significance of the event.
Don’t have a DVD player? Have no fear! At Parsons Music Library, you can check out portable disc drives or visit study spaces with DVD players inside. If you have any questions, someone behind the front desk will always be available to help.
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.
Karelia Overture Op. 10 was the first piece in the Karelia Suite written by Jean Sibelius in 1893. The suite was premiered by the Viipuri Students’ association at the Imperial Alexander University in Finland during the same year. The Karelia Suite is one of Sibelius’ most popular works.
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was a very well-known Finnish composer and violinist. In fact, his music is often credited for helping develop Finland‘s national identity whilst the country struggled for independence from Russia. Sibelius began playing violin at age ten and soon became a very successful violinist. Despite his success in the instrumental realm, he decided he would rather become a composer. He studied music at the Helsinki Music Institute and then in various cities across Europe while launching his own career in composition. Fun fact: the Helsinki Music Institute is now known as the Sibelius Academy.
Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
I was first introduced to Sibelius my junior year of high school when I played Karelia Overture Op. 10 with my youth orchestra. I was very drawn to the piece because of its grandiosity and utilization of brass instruments. While I have since played other Sibelius pieces in youth orchestra and here at Richmond, Karelia Overture Op. 10 is my all-time favorite.
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 musical The Last 5 Years, written by Jason Robert Brown, is not the typical musical theatre love story. The story is about the failed marriage of a young actress named Cathy (played by Anna Kendrick in the 2014 movie version) and a young writer named Jamie (played by Jeremy Jordan in the movie version) who, in trying to find a balance between a successful career and a healthy relationship, end up hurting each other. However, the story is being told by both parts of the relationship that are living the same story in different timelines: Cathy starts singing about the end of her marriage in “Still Hurting”, but the following song, “Shiksa Goddess” is sung by Jamie five years before when he had just met Cathy. The Last 5 Years conveys these two different timelines with distinct chord progressions and instrumentation for the songs of each character respective to their timeline, representing how a story should be looked at from different perspectives before taking a stance.
This score includes most of the songs in the musical, such as “Still Hurting,” “Shiksa Goddess,” “Moving Too Fast,” and more. The scores are useful for any beginner-intermediate piano player or musical theatre singer who loves this heartbreaking musical.
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.
Enrique Granados is undoubtedly one of the great ‘what-ifs?’ of classical music. Born in Lleida, Spain in 1867, Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados y Campiñabegan studied music as a teenager, but was unable to attend a formal conservatory. Instead, Granados relied on private lessons and individual practice, eventually exploring composition.
His first real success was the 1898 opera Maria del Carmen, receiving critical acclaim for his composition and conducting. The Spanish King, Alfonso XIII, even attended a performance.
Granados continued composing and performing at a small scale for the next decade, but found his career take off with his piano suite Goyescas which premiered in 1911. Based on the paintings of Fransisco Goya, the works were incredibly popular, leading Granados to compose an opera based on the same themes. This opera became world-renowned after it opened in New York City (the European premiere was canceled due to the outbreak of World War One), and Granados was invited to perform for President Woodrow Wilson.
“A walk in Andalusia” – Francisco Goya (1777)
Unfortunately, Granados perished shortly afterwards, drowning when his boat back to Europe was sunk by a German U-boat. Had Granados stayed in his cabin (half of the ship was untouched) or turned down the New York premiere, his name could have become household in the world of classical music. I highly recommend listening to the Goyescas suite, especially “Quejas o la Maja y el Ruiseñor”, or “Laments, Or the Maiden and the Nightingale.”
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.
Everybody – and I mean everybody – seems to know the Killers from one song: “Mr. Brightside.” The song has become a party and nightclub staple, garnering tons of partygoer enthusiasm as everyone shouts the lyrics in unison.
But what if I said that although it is the group’s most popular song, it is not one of their best songs? What if I said that the Killers have been very prominent in the alternative rock industry for years, pumping out album after album over the years, with some of the core members remaining in the band for its entire existence?
I can go on for hours talking in-depth about every single one of the Killers’ albums, from Hot Fuss all the way to Pressure Machine. My favorite album of all time, Sam’s Town, is also by the Killers. However, in terms of popularity, I feel that Hot Fuss takes the awards. Therefore, to appeal to the general public of those reading this post, my focus will be on this 45 minute masterpiece.
Hot Fuss was released on June 7th 2004 and reached seventh on the Billboard 200. Although being extremely popular in America, the album was actually more of a commercial success in Ireland and England. This album, was the beginning of a 17 year (and counting) career. It was the very first album by the Killers and has been the one that most people adore most.
The track list is absolutely amazing. The four band members, Brandon Flowers, Ronnie Vannucci, Dave Keuning, and Mark Stoermer each had significant roles in writing most of the songs. Vanucci, the drummer of the band, had the least writing credits on the album, but only 3 of the 11 songs on the album were written alone by Brandon Flowers. The rest all involved some sort of mix of the 4.
Despite these being the most popular songs on the album, the tracks I have enjoyed the most are “Everything Will be Alright,” “Believe me Natalie,” and “Change your Mind.” The second of the trio is the most upbeat and encapsulates most of the rock elements the Killers were known for. The other two are much slower and are just as good in my opinion.
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.
Beyoncé in Formation offers a deep-dive into the lyrics and meaning of Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade through a Black feminist and LGBTQ+ lens, creating a deeply nuanced and complex view of the Billboard #1 album.
Tinsley effectively combines her personal life, renowned Black feminist and LGBTQ+ artists, and Beyoncé’s album into one cohesive story wherein she breaks down the ways in which Beyoncé’s album is not only a Black-empowerment album, but an album that introduces complex feminist and LGBTQ+ ideas rarely seen in mainstream music.
I originally picked up this book because I love picking apart lyrics and delving into hidden messages in songs and music videos, however I quickly realized that it would be about much more than song inspection. I appreciate the way in which Tinsley was able to integrate her life into the greater story of Black feminism in a way that felt raw and real, much like the rest of the book. She doesn’t dance around any subject, and no subject matter is too grandiose to take on. Whether it’s gender and sexuality, racism, or the history of music, Tinsley covers it all.
Of course, this book would be nothing without the album Lemonade itself. The CD is also available at Parsons Music Library — feel free to check out both the CD and the book to heighten your experience!
Picture of the author (Eliana class of 2024) at a Beyonce concert in 2016
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.
If you’re anything like me, Mama Mia! is a classic pick for movie night. The catchy songs, written by Swedish 70s group ABBA, are upbeat and danceable. The movie features Meryl Streep, who plays the hardworking Donna. Her daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), is getting married and wants to invite her biological father. However, it could be one of three different men that Donna was involved with. Sophie sends invitations to all of them, leaving her mother in a predicament as she faces her former lovers. With the addition of breathtaking Greek landscapes and hilarious friends, this film embodies the music that brought it to life. The sweet, slow ballad reminds me of the waves crashing on Greek beaches while the fiery electric guitar solos personify the energy that the men bring to Donna’s life once again. I often wonder how a series of ABBA songs could correlate to form an entire movie. The original recordings are so iconic on their own but Mama Mia! brings them all together for one hilarious story. Parsons Music Library offers both ABBA CDs and the score from Mama Mia!, so you can also listen and read along with these iconic tunes.
Our exhibit highlights items (both physical and streaming) from UR’s collection as well as information about traditional Chilean instruments and dance. It also includes thumbnail biographical info on several Chilean musicians.
Here’s a little info on the music with some links to items in the library’s collection and a few video clips for good measure!
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The traditional music of Chile is a rich mixture of Spanish and Pre-Columbian influences.
Some of the traditional instruments commonly used in Chile include Andean instruments such as
* The charango – a small stringed instrument of the lute family. It was traditionally made from armadillo shell, but is more commonly made of wood today. It has 10 strings.
The Cueca is considered to be the “most traditional music and dance of Chile” and is officially the country’s national dance. While cueca’s origins are not entirely certain, indigenous, African and Spanish influences are evident.
It is a partner dance which is indented imitate the courtship of a rooster and hen. Men usually wear a traditional Chilean cowboy costume while women traditionally don a flowered dresses with an apron.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Chilean songwriters like Victor Jara and Violeta Parra used the tonada as a foundation of the “Nueva Canción,” explicitly political music that blended Chilean folk music with progressive politics, similar to the way Bob Dylan and Joan Baez led a political folk revival around the same time in the U.S.
The foundations of nueva canción were laid by Violeta Parra (1917-1967) who was a popular folk singer-songwriter and musicologist who researched and recovered the poetry and songs of rural Chile.
Víctor Jara (1932-1973) was a legendary Chilean folk singer and political activist who also pioneered nueva canción. His activism led to his murder by the Pinochet dictatorship in 1973.
Jara’s life and work continue to be celebrated by Latin American artists as well as globally known bands like U2 and The Clash. The 2018 documentary film The Resurrection of Víctor Jara is a great introduction to his life and legacy and is available to UR students, faculty and staff as a streaming video resource.
Here’s a trailer for the documentary:
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Claudio Arrau (1903-1991) was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire, especially the works of Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt and Brahms.
He is widely considered to be one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century.
Here are a couple of library resources about his life and work:
