Parsons Playlists: The Charm of Classical Saxophone

Posted on November 18, 2024 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manger Tim (class of 2024) featuring some classical music for saxophone.

The Charm of Classical Saxophone

Alexander Glazunov – “Concerto for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra” (Joseph Lulloff)

Alexey Shor – “Alto Sax Concerto in Bb” (Nikita Zimin)

André Waignein – “Rhapsody” (Simon Diricq)

Claude Debussy – “Rhapsodie with Orchestra” (Claude Delangle)

Takashi Yoshimatsu – “Fuzzy Bird Sonata – I. Run, Bird” (Nobuya Sugawa)

Toshimo Mashima – “Birds” (Nobuya Sugawa)

J.S. Bach – “Chaconne” (Eastman Saxophone Project)

Paul Creston – “Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano, Op. 19 – I. With Vigor” (Nobuya Sugawa)

Lars-Erik Larsson – “Saxophone Concerto, Op. 14” (Nobuya Sugawa)

Jacques Ibert – “Concertino da Camera” (Sandro Compagnon)

Eugène Bozza – “Aria” (Wonki Lee)

Antonio Vivaldi – “Winter” from The Four Seasons (arranged for Saxophone quartet and soloist) (U.S. Army Field Band)

Astor Piazzolla – “Tango, Etude No. 3” (Wonki Lee)

J.S. Bach – “Fugue in G minor” (Sax Bird)

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlWvgju4iTC1OjuLWuaT0-IDBd4gjdwAL&si=l82i7J9nPfB4rdzJ

Arachnophonia: Young Bach

Posted on March 20, 2024 by marmstr3

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 Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features a book on the life, times, and influence of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Thanks, Nikoloz!

Young Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach: Life, Times, Influence edited by Barbara Schwendowius and Wolfganng Domling

Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most influential and well-known composers in the world. But some don’t know about the roots of his musical career. Young Bach, orphaned at 10 years old, moved in to live with his oldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach. The older brother was an organist at the Church and thus cared for many musical scores, tucked away in one of his cabinets. Not only was manuscript paper expensive back then, but also the writings were to be kept secret from the general public.

It follows, that young Bach was forbidden from reading and copying this music. However, young Bach was captivated by music, and could not resist. Disobeying his brother, he would wake up late at night, unlock the locked cabinet, and take a couple of manuscripts out. Then he would sit at a high place in the house, where the moonlight would shine upon some surface he used for writing. He would copy the scores for hours at night, and stash them somewhere. Eventually, his brother caught him, but upon seeing the limit that young Bach was willing to go to, he finally agreed to teach his younger brother more. That decision gave the world J. S. Bach as we know him today.