Tag Archives: Tim

Parsons Playlists: The Charm of Classical Saxophone

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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

Parsons Playlists: Chinese Pop

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Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Tim (class of 2024) which features some Chinese pop songs.

Chinese Pop

G.E.M. – “Light Years Away”

G.E.M. – “Long After”

G.E.M. – “Selfless”

G.E.M.– “The Sky”

Wang Xinghe – “Listen Not”

Jay Chou – “Maple Leaf”

Jay Chou – “All the Way North”

Jay Chou – “Step Aside”

Eason Chan – “Ten Years”

Li Zongsheng – “Newly Written Old Songs”

Li Zongsheng – “The Hills”

AGA – “Jiang Haijia”

Jay Chou – “Ming Ming Jiu”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlWvgju4iTC38OnG3qJg6bfr74QR8B2cE&si=MCu9_9zEmF83bwFW

Arachnophonia: How to Play Dizi, the Chinese Bamboo Flute – The Dongxiao

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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 Tim (class of 2024) and features a book that teaches the basics of learning to play the Chinese bamboo flute. Thanks, Tim!

How to Play Dizi, the Chinese Bamboo Flute: The Dongxiao by H. H. Lee

The Dongxiao

The Dongxiao is a type of Xiao from the Chinese bamboo flute family. It has a history of over 8,000 years, dating back to the Neolithic Age in China. The entire flute is made of bamboo, and its length is usually over 32 inches. It is either carved with six or eight holes, with an additional “V”-shaped hole on the top serving as the mouthpiece (the blowing hole). Sound is produced by air vibration passing through the “V”-shaped blowing hole. It is primarily used in the Yangtze River Delta, especially in Jiangsu Province.

Unlike major Chinese musical instruments, the Xiao has its own unique cultural significance, closely tied to traditional Chinese culture. Due to its distinctive characteristics, the Xiao cannot project a very loud sound. Its unique timbre makes it an ideal instrument for solo performances or duets. Chinese scholars view the Xiao as an instrument for a Junzi (gentleman), and it is traditionally played by scholars to cultivate their minds, often for personal enjoyment or for a very small audience. The airy sound of the Xiao is considered “ambient.” In Chinese aesthetic terms, this “ambient” quality evokes a sense of vast space where people become mere ornaments, reflecting the vastness of nature and the smallness of human beings in comparison.

The book How to Play Dizi, the Chinese Bamboo Flute: The Dongxiao introduces Western readers to the world of the Xiao. It covers the types, structures, and key signatures of the Xiao, along with relatively simple instructions on how to play it and modern Chinese music notation. This book is especially useful for beginners or those interested in Chinese music and culture.