Category Archives: Collection

Arachnophonia: Elgar’s Cello Concerto, op. 85

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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 English composer Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto (1919). Thanks, Brianna!

Cello Concerto, Op. 85
Edward Elgar

Elgar

British composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

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!

Arachnophonia: Hadestown

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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 Nicole (class of 2024) and features the musical Hadestown. Thanks, Nicole!

Hadestown
Music, lyrics and book by Anaïs Mitchell

Have you heard of the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice?

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.

You can check out the piano/vocal selections score of songs from Hadestown at the Music Library!

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

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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: Music as Biology

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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 book about the connections between music and biology. Thanks, Esther!

Music As Biology: The Tones We Like and Why by Dale Purves

Music As Biology: The Tones We Like and Why by Dale Purves

The innate attraction we have towards music as humans have always fascinated me. Nicknamed the “universal language,” music seems to be so deeply embedded into society. The way it evokes certain emotions within us feels like a concept too abstract to be explained. Why do we enjoy certain combinations of tones over others? How does music remain the same or change over time and cultures? Why do different scales induce different emotions? Music as Biology by Dale Purves was an interesting read that helped me formulate concrete ideas about some of these questions through a biological perspective. 

Dale Purves is a highly accomplished neuroscientist who is currently a professor at Duke University. His lab studies the neurobiological underpinnings of our perception to different stimuli, including sound.  Dr. Purves takes an empirical approach to music, incorporating data and research from biology to support his arguments on how we react to music. He provides additional links to more information on certain questions throughout the book if you were interested in further research as well. Overlapping music theory and biology offered a refreshing insight into how we perceive music. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in music or science!

Arachnophonia: Drawn to Sound

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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 Isaac (class of 2025) and features a collection of essays about music in animated films. Thanks, Isaac!

Drawn to Sound: Animation Film Music and Sonicity edited by Rebecca Coyle

Drawn To Sound book cover

Animation as a medium is something that has always intrigued me. Inherently having limits differing from traditional film, animation’s visual spectacle sees itself as a source of disagreement. On one end, you have supporters celebrating the composition of the visuals, but on the other, critics viewing it as a commodification of drawing, reserved for children. Regardless of viewpoint, however, is the music in works of animation. Masters of animation music use the medium in conjunction with what is on the screen for an expressive statement.

This book piques my interest for its breakdown of the works of these very artists, auteurs like Hisaishi have created works so fitting they have become indelible from what is on the screen. Sublimity is unequivocally achieved because of these scores, I often reflect most heavily on the sounds I heard from an animated feature, extending beyond even the most dogmatic of views on what a film “should be”. Editor Rebecca Coyle’s shared admiration for the often-ignored musical elements of these songs is something I was delighted to discover, as the focus of animated films are naturally on the animation itself. But this doesn’t mean music in animation should be marginalized, making this book all the more interesting as it is devoted to animation music. Stylistically, music drive themes in film more subtly than dialogue or visuals–– saturating the viewer in a soundscape is a pivotal role–– and throughout my life, recognizing the importance for these composers made any film an enriching watching (and listening) experience.

Arachnophonia: Slumdog Millionaire

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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 Amy (class of 2025) and features the soundtrack to the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire. Thanks, Amy!

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack album cover

“What can a Slumdog possibly know?”

When I think of a powerful and incredibly well-made movie, Slumdog Millionaire is one that comes to mind. The 2008 drama stars Dev Patel as Jamal Malik, a teen on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

Slumdog Millionaire flashes between Jamal’s life as a teen and his childhood, showing the realities of living on the streets of Mumbai as a young child. The story is compelling, and the acting is phenomenal, but the thing that makes this film is the soundtrack. With artists like M.I.A. involved, it is easy to understand how this film won the Golden Globe for best soundtrack in 2009. A. R. Rahman, the score’s creator, wanted to create a mix of both modern and old India in the soundtrack.

A. R. Rahman’s original song “Jai Ho” for the movie won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture. The song was an international success with remixes and covers of the song coming from across the globe. The song was also the Indian National Congress’s official campaign song in 2009.

While this movie discusses and portrays hardship and is not indicative of every success story, I think it gives hope to those who feel stuck and like they won’t succeed. You can check out the soundtrack for Slumdog Millionaire at the Music Library!

Arachnophonia: Romantic Arias

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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

Arachnophonia: Elton John – “Rocket Man”/”Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”

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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 Kiran (class of 2024) and features a biography of and albums by Elton John. Thanks, Kiran!

Elton John
Rocket Man: The Life of Elton John by Mark Bego
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John

Rocket Man: The Life of Elton John by Mark Bego

Farwell Yellow Brick Road – The Closing Chapter on Elton John’s Magical Journey

For people in my generation, Elton John was the singer we grew up listening to when our parents were tired of listening to 2010s pop and Disney Channel stars. He (and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin) were the masterminds behind the
music & lyrics we somehow all knew even if we didn’t recognize the name. Needless to say, Elton John has been an influential artist on multiple generations and continues to be one of the biggest names in the music industry.

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

This year, he took to the stage one last time and began his very last world tour. John, now 75, has played over 3,500 concerts since his career took off in 1969. The “Farwell Yellow Brick Road” tour began in 2018 and was halted due to COVID-19. In early November of 2022, John completed the North America leg at Dodgers Stadium, as a nod to one of his earliest shows in which he performed in a bedazzled Dodgers uniform. He will continue touring in Europe this summer with about 60 shows left before he takes his final bow.

John has taken on numerous projects during his career, from creating the hit “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” to an entire soundtrack for Gnomeo and Juliet. You can read more about him at Parsons Music Library or listen to one of his many famous albums in our CD section!

Promotional poster for Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour

Promotional poster for Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour

New CDs added: January 2023

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New CDs for January 2023

Orchestral, Concertos and Chamber Music

Body / Psathas / Ritchie – Music from New Zealand for Two Guitars

Music from New Zealand for Two Guitars

Opera, Opera Excerpts, Choral Music and Art Songs

Ernest Chausson – – The Songs of Ernest Chausson
Charlotte Sohy – Compositrice de la Belle Epoque

Charlotte Sohy Compositrice de la Belle Epoque

Popular Music

Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords – Live in London
The Fourmyula – Inside the Hutt: New Zealand’s Pop-Psych Kingpins 1968-1969

The Formyula Inside the Hutt: New Zealand's Pop-Psych Kingpins 1968-1969

Arachnophonia: Lady Gaga “The Fame Monster”

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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 Deisy (class of 2024) and features Lady Gaga’s 2009 album The Fame Monster. Thanks, Deisy!

Lady Gaga
The Fame Monster

Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster (album cover)

The Parsons Music Library has a collection of albums, LPs, and books that can help one expand their musical knowledge. In this digital era, there are many CDs that can be found and one of my favorites that I have reconnected with is Lady Gaga’s album, The Fame Monster.

Lady Gaga is one of my favorite childhood singers, her music was very experimental compared to a lot of the music my family exposed me to. And although I never considered myself a big fan of hers, now I hear her music and become nostalgic. The Fame Monster album in particular has many songs such as “Bad Romance,” “Alejandro,” and “Poker Face” which I consistently heard on the radio. As we get older, the songs that were once the most famous become ingrained in our heads and remind us of our childhood, and that is the case with Lady Gaga’s music for me.