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.
Souvenir de Florence is a chamber piece written by the great Romantic Era composer Tchaikovsky. It involves 2 violins, 2 violas, and 2 cellos all playing their own parts. I find this composition incredibly interesting because of the moments of chaos created by 6 different parts being played at once, but also because of the brilliant moments where Tchaikovsky blends the sounds of the 6 instruments incredibly well. Tchaikovsky dedicated this piece to the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society after becoming an Honorary Member.
Title page of the first printed edition of Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence score
The principle theme of this piece was written during a visit to Florence, Italy, hence the title which translates to “Memory of Florence”. The first movement, in sonata form, is likely the most memorable of the 4 in the piece as it starts off with a bang and returns to the beginning theme at the end with even more energy. However, my favorite movements are the lasttwo. These movements have distinct Russian folk-like melodies that contrast the music in the first two, and which I think are the most interesting of the 4. As a whole, I think this is my favorite chamber piece I have ever heard. Be sure to pick up the score or find it on a CD at the Music Library!
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.
When analyzing the classic and most famous Broadway shows, similar answers typically arise. Many instantly associate New York Broadway with flashing lights, lines of dancers, or extremely costly sets that attempt to engage the audience in unthinkable ways. Many of my friends who are relatively new to the Broadway scene associate the industry with Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and The Lion King. These are some of the longest running Broadway shows to exist, with most taking their inspiration from childhood storylines and characters. Wicked, takes a spin of The Wizard of Oz and creates a masterpiece with some of the most iconic songs in Broadway history. The Lion King takes a classic Disney movie and brings it to life on a grand scale, supplemented with music by the legendary Elton John and Tim Rice. Phantom of the Opera, a stage adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s 1909 novel of the same name (and a book that I started but never finished) brings the entire theater to life, with a collapsing chandelier over the audience, an extremely costly set design, and one of the musicals that contains some of the greatest vocal control and range I have ever heard. There is a reason why it is the longest running show on Broadway, despite its recent announcement that the show is closing in 2023. Finally, Les Misérables, my favorite of all time and a book that I made over 1,500 pages in but have not finished, is a masterpiece. See one of my prior works to see exactly how and why I love the musical. But as it did to me, it captivated Broadway fans and has become one of the shows most synonymous with Broadway. If someone who has extreme reach and can pull up strings – bring it back. Thanks. Please. And thank you again.
However, mixed in with the Broadway giants, the past decade and change has brought to Broadway some of the most underrated and beautiful masterpieces Broadway has ever seen. Although COVID, lack of demand, rising rental costs, and ultimately a stream of bad luck, shows such as Dear Evan Hansen, Waitress, Next to Normal, Beetlejuice, Be More Chill, Dogfight, Heathers, Something Rotten, The Prom, and She Loves Me have been cut short and their greatness is impossible to compare with shows that have survived for 30+ years.
One of those shows, whose Broadway run should have been much longer in my opinion is Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Before I get into why the musical is my feature for this post, I want to touch upon how I found out about the piece.
I’ve touched in some of my other posts that I was in a musical my senior year and knew nothing about anything. I could not read sheet music (as I forgot after I quit saxophone before middle school), was stiff as a board in my dancing, did not know tap, could not sing, and could not tell you the difference between tenor and bass. Yet somehow, I got a speaking role and had a two-line solo in 42nd Street about traveling shoes and newspapers. Despite that, as I was trying to impress a girl and become immersed in the experience, I had to learn all about Broadway culture. It seems like a dumb reason, but once I got involved into it, I was immersed for real. And so, I went through every single musical I could, listening to them, learning the lyrics, watching clips on YouTube and actually getting to go to one in New York my freshman year for the first time ever. And somewhere, in between, as I was a huge Waitress fan and Jessie Mueller was the original cast performer for the role of Jenna, I checked out some of her other work. Lo and behold, she also played the titular character of Carole King in the musical Beautiful.
I watched a bootleg of the musical (as it was closed after I found it) and was instantly hooked. The music within the musical is all modern and sped up adaptations of some of the most classic songs that Carole King produced and wrote during her hay day. And hearing those songs that I grew up with, but in a newer and crisper way was something that I enjoyed incredibly. With that, today’s focus is on Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
To begin, Beautiful opened on Broadway on January 12th, 2014, and made it just short of six years, taking its final bow on October 27th, 2019. The musical performed over 2,400 times and was critically acclaimed, taking home two Tony awards in 2014: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, and Best Sound Design. The musical relives the career and life of Carole King, a songwriter from New York City who started songwriting in 1958. From 1958-2000, King had 118 songs appear on the Billboard 100. It explores her personal life with her first husband Gerry Goffin, who she met while at Queens College (where both of my cousins go) and became writing partners with, her career, and the success of her music. Despite rising to commercial success with Goffin, their marriage was eventually doomed, as Goffin had admitted he was having an affair, had a daughter with his mistress (in real-life, not the production), and was a substance abuser. All these factors contributed to their downfall as a couple and decision to divorce. Despite this, King also had solo success once her career took off. She became one of the most prolific songwriters of her time.
Beautiful played at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, sharing the privilege with past musical productions such as Anything Goes, Mrs. Doubtfire, Bye Bye Birdie, Cabaret, and Daddy Long Legs (which received an off-Broadway revival recently). After its close, Beautiful cemented itself as the 28th most performed show in history, just 100 performances shy of The Producers and about 40 more than Annie.
Some of my favorite songs are “1650 Broadway Medley,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”, “Take Good Care of My Baby,” and “One Fine Day.” “1650 Broadway Medley” is a masterpiece that sheds light to the talent and musical masterpieces (by artists other than King) that stemmed from the Brill Building, a music studio located in Manhattan, New York where Carole King began her career. “Some Kind of Wonderful,” opens with Carole and Gerry singing the song together, and then transforming it in the later half to show how their song was then picked up by the Drifters, who shot the song to success. The version in the musical is a lot more modern and quicker compared to the version performed by the Drifters. However, some of the string melodies are still present in the song. The buildup in between King and Goffin’s version to the Drifters’ is an awesome transition. “Will You Still Love me Tomorrow” takes a similar approach in the musical. The first time it is performed in the musical is Carole singing the song by herself, presumably in the early stages of writing it. However, two songs later, the same song is sung and performed in a grand manner, in the style of doo-wop by The Shirelles. Once again, the musical version is sped up and the quality is a bit crisper. However, despite that, the same base and notes to the original version are still present in the piece. The strings in my opinion really hold the song together, as I am a sucker for strings. It adds more depth and volume to the piece, ultimately supplementing the voices of the Shirelles very well.
As for “Take Good Care of My Baby,” the song is very simplistic, and quite frankly too quick. The song, written by Carole and Gerry was performed by Bobby Vee in 1961. This is also interesting, as the Bobby Vee version is not a duet. The producers of the show decided to make the song a duet between Carole and Gerry, something that I liked throughout the show as the songs made popular by the artists who sang them did not dominate the show. Most of the songs have Carole herself performing them. Finally, “One Fine Day,” made famous by The Chiffons and drawing inspiration from doo-wop is one of the best songs on the album. Once again, the song is sped up and is modernized, which is a nice touch on the classic piece. The background vocals complete the song and add immense depth. This was the first song that I heard off the entire album and was one of the main reasons that I got hooked to the piece.
All in all, those main songs do not aim to take away from the beauty of the other pieces. I simply just could not highlight the beauty of them all and chose to focus on a select few. Despite hearing most of these pieces from being the son of a musician who played at weddings with my grandpa and played all the biggest hits at the time starting from age 11, I never knew the history behind each of these songs. And the fact that they were all written by Carole King was new to me. I will always regret not being able to see the show in person, but at least I have the music to keep the show alive forever.
Finally, the show was able to spread its beauty without having a complicated set. The set itself really is just a compartmentalized wood wall in the back and a relatively empty main stage. There are no witches flying around, or falling chandeliers, or superhero battles attached to safety harnesses, or a mechanical King Kong, or a full circus like Moulin Rouge, or a giant plant puppet that grows as the production continues. It is basic, beautiful, and supplements the music that is being performed.
I personally think that those musicals that focus on the music and do not try to go too over the top are severely overlooked. Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton are very similar. Both do not have extremely over-the-top sets, and in the case of Dear Evan Hansen, there is barely any set at all. There is a huge LED screen that lights up and has graphics going across it, as well as very basic sets such as a bed or a couch. I mean, Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton obviously have resonated better and more widely than Beautiful has, so maybe it is not the best comparison, but all really focus on the story and the music, using the set only when necessary.
In conclusion, if you have not already checked out Beautiful, I highly suggest you come to Parsons Music Library and find the CD. Give it a listen, and I guarantee you will love it.
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.
I started working on Chopin’s G Minor Ballade last December, and it was the piece with the heaviest emotions I have ever studied before. By chance, I read several sections of this book, a collection of Chopin’s letters, and the texts have such a strong power that I was immersed in the intensity and great sorrow reading through the lines.
Here is what Chopin recorded in his Stuttgart diary in this book when the Battle of Warsaw took place in September 1831: “Sometimes I can only groan, and suffer, and pour out my despair at the piano! … Is a corpse any worse than I? … A corpse is as colorless as I, as cold, as I am cold to everything now” (Chopin, 149).
When studying a new piece, I found it extremely helpful to better interpret the narrative and emotions behind the composition by reading different versions of the score and the composer’s diary or other written documents. The book Chopin’s Letters will give you a brand-new insight into this patriotic composer if you love his music! The call number is ML410.C54 A4 1988.
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.
Taylor Swift, one of the biggest artists of the century, has amassed a cult-like following since her self titled debut album. She’s since released 9 additional studio albums and 2 re-recorded albums, all seemingly more successful than the last. Speak Now, her third studio album released in 2010, remains my favorite to date. Let me tell you why.
When determining my personal album rankings, I consider two factors: general cohesiveness and amount of “skips.”
In terms of cohesiveness, Speak Now exceeds expectations. Taylor describes it as a loose concept album regarding the things she never got a chance to tell people throughout her life. She calls the songs diary entries, using them to navigate her newfound adulthood. Speak Now perfectly encapsulates all the emotions of a 20-year-old dealing with love, heartbreak, and regret. Every song tunes into those emotions in a slightly different way, creating a wholly relatable album.
Even more importantly, this is a no-skips album. Each song serves a beautiful purpose in connecting the whole, but also has the ability to stand alone. Of course, this isn’t to say I don’t have favorites. “Back to December“, “Mine“, “Better than Revenge“, and “Last Kiss” certainly top my list. Still, even my least favorite songs on this album are always worth 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.
The early 2010s gave rise to a multitude of alternative-rock bands: Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, and Cage the Elephant, just to name a few. I, like most other middle/high schoolers at the time, was obsessed with these bands. Twenty One Pilots was no exception. The duo from Columbus, Ohio, exploded into the alternative-rock scene with their 2015 album, Blurryface. Their songs “Stressed Out”, “Tear in My Heart”, and “Ride” were all hits, with “Ride” making the top 5 on The US Billboard 100. The band went on to win the 2017 Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Bandmates Tyler Joseph and Joshua Dun accepted the award without their pants, as a tribute to the way they were watching the Grammys a few years prior to their breakout.
In his speech, Joseph concluded that “anyone from anywhere can do anything,” which aligns with the overarching message they convey through their music and performances. The duo often sings of mental hardships and social constructs, but have always weaved a positive narrative into their music. Their two most recent albums, Trench (2018) and Scaled and Icy (2021), have intricate story lines that show how perseverance can outstand even the toughest circumstances. Each song plays a different role and serves as a world-building tool. “Dema” is a fictional land that is guarded by several bishops, each representing an inner demon or fear. Throughout several videos, Joesph and Dun befriend the weird creatures and strange rebels in order to escape. These are just a few examples of how Twenty One Pilots uses creative techniques to express raw and difficult emotions and experiences.
Although I didn’t understand how relatable these lyrics were at the time, my 8th grade-self fell in love with the intricate bass lines and vibrant drum solos. Since then, my fondness for this band has grown exponentially. While some have outgrown the duo, I have continued to follow their musical journey. Twenty One Pilots is currently on their third world tour and came to the DMV last month. I’ve seen three of their shows over the past six years and have yet to be disappointed. Their stage presence and interaction with the fan base is incredible and truly a unique experience.
If you’re ready to start an emotional roadshow, come check out Blurryface and other related CDs in Parsons Music Library!
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.
People might argue that it’s hard to understand ballet, but the stunning production of The Nutcracker by The Royal Ballet available on DVD in the Music Library will provide the audience with a different and impressive experience. The story behind the dancing scene evokes the inner feeling of everyone, and the music from Tchaikovsky endows dramatic, mysterious, and dreamy colors to the performance.
This recording from a performance in 1968 was performed by Merle Park, who was known for the brilliance of execution and virtuoso technique. The stage arrangement and design are relatively simple than in present days; however, the costumes and performers’ techniques were outstanding. My favorite part has always been the second act, where integration of international dance performance takes place: Spanish dancers represent chocolate, Arabian dancers are coffee, Chinese dancers are tea, while Russian dancers represent sugar canes.
As Christmas is approaching, check this DVD out in the Parsons Music Library! You can borrow a DVD drive from the front desk or use the equipment in the study rooms to watch the entire performance!
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.
While performing my duties as music library student assistant, I discovered a thin workbook titled Modern Method for Tympani. I come across hundreds of books, scores, and instruction manuals in my job, but it was the name of the author of the workbook that caught my attention: Saul Goodman, the namesake of one my favorite TV shows, Better Call Saul.
Further research showed Saul Goodman (the percussionist & author of Modern Method for Tympani) has a fascinating history. Born in Brooklyn in 1907, by the time he was 20, Goodman was the principal timpanist of the New York Philharmonic. He played with this premier orchestra for 46 years and taught at Juilliard, the premier U.S. music school, for 41 years.
Goodman was instrumental in innovating the timpani, introducing both new techniques and inventions such as replaceable-ball timpani sticks and chain-tuned timpanis. He also remains one of the most renowned and influential percussion teachers in history. To add to his long list of accolades, Goodman played the first performance of a timpani concert to be broadcast on air. When he died in 1996, the New York Times credited him with over 6,000 concerts and a place as the longest-held principal Philharmonic position in history. If you would like to try to follow in Saul Goodman’s steps, take a look at Modern Method for Tympani, found at library call number MT660.2. G6, or ask a Music Library student assistant for help.
The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Their folk music traditions are often integrated with poetry and dance. Here’s a brief overview of Māori music culture past and present:
Taonga pūoro
This picture displays several traditional Maori instruments belonging to master practitioner, Horomona Horo. The instruments are from bone, wood ,shell and gourd. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taonga_p%C5%ABoro
Taonga pūoro are the traditional musical instruments of the Māori and consist of a variety of blown, struck and twirled instruments made from hollowed-out wood, stone, whale ivory, and bone.
The sounds of the instruments were intended to mimic the sounds of the natural environment such as insects, birds, water, trees and wind and were connected with religious practice. According to Wikipedia, the Māori viewed music related to their creation story where “The Gods sang the Universe into Existence.”
Here is a short video on taonga pūoro featuring Māori instrumentalist Richard Nunns:
Today, taonga pūoro are most frequently used at Māori ceremonies and also by New Zealand composers, such as Gillian Whitehead.
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Haka
The Te Aka Māori Dictionary defines haka as a general term for “vigorous dances with actions and rhythmically shouted words” and/or the performance of these dances. Haka are sometimes described as challenges. They are used to make a point, honor someone/something, tell a story or express an emotion. They are performed by both men and women.
Kapa haka is a term for Māori action songs like haka and groups that perform them.
Here is a short video on kapa haka produced by NPR:
And here are a few song styles performed by kapa haka groups: Waiata are songs are sung solo or in unison, usually lullabies, love songs or laments. Waiata is also a Māori verb which means “to sing.”
Poi are (usually) women’s dances involving the swinging of balls, about the size of tennis balls, attached to cords and its accompanying music.
A karanga is a formal, ceremonial call and response at the start of a pōwhiri (welcome ceremony). Karanga are carried out almost exclusively by women and in the Māori language.
*** Contemporary Māori Music
Māori musical heritage continues to have an impact on New Zealand music and culture. Western instruments like guitars are frequently employed with traditional instruments today and indigenous sounds are melded with many different styles of music such as pop, jazz, classical and hip hop. Māori traditional instruments are sometimes used by contemporary composers, musicians and artists.
Here are a couple of fun video examples of Māori music melding with western forms for your enjoyment:
* “Poi E” by Pātea Māori Club was a NZ hit single in 1984 and is still beloved today. (Note that poi as described above are featured in the video!):
* Here is a classical piece featuring taonga pūoro written by contemporary Māori composer Gillian Whitehead:
* And for contrast, here is a thrash metal song released in 2019 by the group Alien Weaponry:
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Here are some items from our collection that will give you more information on Māori music:
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.
Known for his phenomenal Broadway show Rent, Jonathan Larson was a musical genius of the 80s and 90s. Recently popularized by Netflix in the film tick, tick… BOOM! starring Andrew Garfield, this musical tells the tale of Jonathan Larson’s trials and tribulations as an almost 30-year-old musical writer in New York City (before the creation of Rent). Although Larson sadly passed away before he could see Rent’s Broadway debut, his impact on the world of music will never be forgotten.
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.
Erik Satie (1866-1925) was a French composer whose spare, unconventional, often witty style influenced 20th-century music greatly, particularly in France. Satie’s music represents the first definite break with 19th-century French Romanticism. Closely allied to the Dadaist and Surrealist movements in art, it refuses to become involved with grandiose sentiment or transcendent significance, disregards traditional forms and tonal structures, and characteristically takes the form of parody, with flippant titles, such as Trois morceaux en forme de poire (1903; Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear) and Embryons Desséchés (1913; Desiccated Embryos), and directions to the player such as “with much illness” or “light as an egg.” Satie was often dismissed as a charlatan by musicians who misunderstood his irreverence and wit.
One of Satie’s most known works are the Trois Gymnopédies (1888). Gymnopédie No.1 (You can listen to it here), for example, is a work of music not too complicated. Regardless, I have always found it to influence me like no other piece. Sometimes, it sets the mood to be quite melancholic while also, in my opinion, sprinkling a vast amount of joy by the end. Other times it could lay a feeling of calmness on the listener, like a break from a hard day at work or a breeze on a hot summer afternoon.
You can check out this book (among others) in the Parsons Music Library if you’d like to learn more about Erik Satie and his work.
