Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring an indie rock playlist curated by Music Library student manager Ryan (class of 2022).
Champagne Lane – “Golden Hour”
Iron and Wine – “Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me”
The Backseat Lovers – “Kilby Girl”
Peach Pit – “Alrighty Aphrodite”
Peach Pit – “Drop the Guillotine”
Half Moon Run – “Black Diamond”
and here is a link to the full list on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZewqK0MqWOox99fCw9-uZvgM
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we are featuring a collection of 19th and 20th century piano music curated by Music Library student manager Ryan (class of 2022).
Samuel Barber – Excursions, Op. 20
Erik Satie – Trois Gymnopédies No. 1
Erik Satie – Trois Gymnopédies No. 2
Erik Satie – Trois Gymnopédies No. 3
Frédéric Chopin – Waltz No. 7 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 64
Frédéric Chopin – Nocturne for Piano, No. 8 in D Flat Major, Op. 27
Franz Liszt – Liebestraume S541/R211, No. 3. Nocturne in A-Flat Major
Here is a link to the full playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZeyweOia4E_CpnV5TG7iyQO0
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a collection of Renaissance Polyphony curated by Music Library student assistant Ryan (class of 2022).
So here is “Renaissance Polyphony to Get Your Brain Going”:
The Ghent Altarpiece: Singing Angels (detail) by Jan van Eyck (1432)
William Byrd – Mass for Four voices
William Byrd – Mass for Five Voices
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina – Missa Papae Marcelli
Gregorio Allegri – Miserere mei, Deus
And here is a link to a YouTube playlist of all of the works above!
Musicians of the late Renaissance/early Baroque era (Gerard van Honthorst, The Concert, 1623)
The Music Library has more resources available than physical items. We’re highlighting some of our digital resources, and including information about them as told by our student employees.
Today’s digital resource is:
All Music offers biographies and discographies in all genres
Here is what student assistant Danny (class of 2023) had to say about this resource:
“A digital resource that I found very interesting was called “All Music.” This research guide was very helpful, for you can search just about any album, artist, or song and get not only some information about it, but what album it was connected to, reviews, the year that it came out, and reviews about it.
This guide is especially helpful to learn more about artists and the albums they have released. For instance, let’s say you just found out about a new artist. You can look them up on AllMusic and access their discography. (Some even have links that will allow you to hear samples of songs!) You can also see lists of similar albums and songs that you can check out if you want to hear more music that sounds similar to the artist you’ve searched for.
Finally, there is a new release radar, a discover tab, and articles related to current news that can be extremely helpful if you want to keep track of the day-to-day goings-on in the music industry.”
And here is what student assistant Ryan (class of 2022) thought about the AllMusic Guide:
“Allmusic.com is an incredibly broad music database that has information on all kinds of music, from B.T.S. to R.E.M. The website features Discover sections that can help you find music based on genre, mood, and even lyrical content.
Ever been curious about the difference between bluegrass and blues? How about progressive metal and post punk? AllMusic has artists and albums divided into the most niche subgenres, so you can find examples of almost anything. The website also offers articles, album reviews, recommendations, and artist interviews. If you’re looking to expand your musical horizons, AllMusic.com is the place to start!”
Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a 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 Ryan (class of 2022) and features a collection of works by French composer Erik Satie. Thanks, Ryan!
Erik Satie (b. 1866 – d. 1925)
Parade ; Trois gymnopédies ; Mercure ; Trois gnossiennes ; Relâche
Erik Satie has long been one of my favorite composers for his ability to blend together subtlety and expressiveness to create an ambiance unlike any other artist. In his day, Satie struggled greatly to find support for his music, but his friendship with composer Claude Debussy proved valuable when Debussy offered to orchestrate two of Satie’s three “Gymnopédies”. Among Satie’s earlier works, Debussy saw great potential in “Trois Gymnopédies” and his orchestrations are still performed today, although Debussy disliked the second of the three and never orchestrated it. In this CD recording by the New London Orchestra, conductor Ronald Corp attempts to elucidate the same subtleties Debussy loved so much in Satie’s work with his orchestrations of Gymnopédie no. 2 as well as “Trois Gnossiennes”. This CD also features recordings of some of Satie’s ballets: Parade, Mercure, and Relâche. Each was met with mixed reviews at their debuts, but are now considered to be some of his finest works.
Erik Satie in 1920
I love to listen to Satie, especially the Gymnopédies, while I read or do work. Music historians often credit Satie as being one of the precursors to modern “ambient music”, and it’s easy to see why. Satie’s music lends itself equally well to thoughtful listening as it does to background enjoyment. If you’re looking for a CD to help you relax after a long week or accompany a good book, I highly recommend the New London Orchestra’s collection of recordings.
