Tag Archives: contemporary composers

Arachnophonia: Astor Piazzolla

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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 Xipeng (class of 2024) and features Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. Thanks, Xipeng!

Astor Piazzolla

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)

Born in Argentina in 1921, Astor Piazzolla’s journey in music began at a young age, studying the bandoneón, a type of accordion central to tango music. The composer’s fusion of tango with elements of jazz and classical departs from the conventional Argentine genre. His compositions, also known as “nuevo tango”, presented newfound complexity and depth. This bold experimentation elevated tango from its origins as popular dance music to a sophisticated art form.

Piazzolla’s most famous work is Libertango, which was released in 1974. The piece embodies Piazzolla’s distinctive style, blending both traditional and modern elements to create a composition that transcends cultural boundaries.

Another notable composition by Piazzolla is Adiós Nonino, a deeply personal piece written in memory of his father with sorrow and nostalgia.

Estaciones Porteñas (Four Seasons of Buenos Aires”, written between 1965 and 1970, is also another remarkable work from Piazzolla, reinterpreting Antonio Vivaldi’s renowned classical composition. Through the innovative fusion of classical and tango music, Piazzolla creates a dynamic musical journey that appeals to audiences with its expressive melodies and emotional resonance.

We have the book Le Grand Tango: The Life and Music of Astor Piazzolla, which is a must read for every Piazzolla fan and tango music lover. Feel free to check out CDs and scores and explore the magic of the captivating art form!

Black Composers Matter: Errollyn Wallen

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Errollyn Wallen
b. April 10, 1958

Errollyn Wallen was born in Belize and moved to London with her family at the age of two.

She trained as a dancer at the Maureen Lyons School of Dancing and the Urdang Academy before taking dance classes at the Dance Theater of Harlem and went on to study music and composition at the universities of London and Cambridge.

According to Grove Music Online, “Wallen draws inspiration from a great diversity of sources in her music. It is above all characterized by a deeply expressive lyricism … and a delight in vibrant dance rhythms …” Her work is also influenced by avant-garde classical music as well as popular songwriting and includes operas, chamber music, and choral music as well as orchestral music.

In 1998, she was the first Black female composer to have an orchestral work – her Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra – presented at the BBC Proms. In 2020, she was commissioned to create a new version of “Jerusalem” (which is considered sort of a standby British national anthem) for the Last Night of the Proms.

Her works Principia and Spirit in Motion were commissioned for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games and their première was watched by a capacity audience of 80,000 people and broadcast to a billion people around the world.

If you’d like to learn more about her, here are some works by Wallen from the Music Library’s collection:

* The Errollyn Wallen Songbook (Score)

* I Wouldn’t Normally Say: Piano Solo (Score)

* Errollyn Wallen (Reference entry via Oxford Music Online)

And as always, YouTube (see video below of Wallen performing some of her own songs), Spotify, her official website, and other social media!

Black Composers Matter

Black Composers Matter : Daniel Bernard Roumain

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Daniel Bernard Roumain (aka DBR)
b. 1970

Haitian-American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain (aka DBR) was born in Skokie, Illinois. His family moved to Fort Lauderdale Florida subsequently. As a first-generation American, DBR’s family home was filled with Haitian folk music and his family encouraged him to listen to a variety of classical and contemporary music.

He discovered the violin at age 5. In junior high school, he formed his own rock / hip-hop band playing guitar and synthesizer.
He majored in music composition at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music and continued his studies at the University of Michigan where he earned both his masters and doctoral degrees.

DBR is an innovative composer, performer, activist and educator. His works blend hip-hop, funk, rock and classical music into genre defying, energetic and experimental forms. He has collaborated with many orchestras and chamber ensembles around the world. His eclectic musical interests are reflected in the fact that he has collaborated with all manner of artists like Philip Glass, Lady Gaga, Bill T. Jones, DJ Spooky, and Cassandra Wilson.

DBR music workshop photo

DBR taking an unconventional approach to violin playing in a 2012 workshop .

Here’s a quote from Roumain’s website that gives a nice overview of the width and breadth of his work to date:
“Known for his signature violin sounds infused with myriad electronic, urban, and African-American music influences, DBR takes his genre-bending music beyond the proscenium. He is a composer of chamber, orchestral, and operatic works; has won an Emmy for Outstanding Musical Composition for his collaborations with ESPN; featured as keynote performer at technology conferences; and created large scale, site-specific musical events for public spaces.”

And here is link to an NPR piece about the 2017 premiere of We Shall Not Be Moved – an opera about the 1985 bombing of the MOVE house in Philadelphia :


If you’d like to learn more about DBR, here are some items from our collection:

* Revolutionary Rhythm (CD)

* Liasons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano (CD and also Score)

* Blues Dialogues: Music By Black Composers (CD)

* Homegoings (Documentary Film scored by Roumain, available to stream via Alexander Street Press)

Homegoings film poster

* You can also follow DBR on social media such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Spotify.

Black Composers Matter