Parsons Playlists: Music in Film

Posted on February 24, 2025 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Esther (class of 2025) and features classical pieces used in various film soundtracks.

Music in Film

Ludwig Van Beethoven – “Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125: ‘Ode to Joy'” (Die Hard)

Modest Mussorgsky – “Pictures at an Exhibition: II. Gnomus” (The Big Lebowski)

Béla Bartók – “Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta” (The Shining)

Frédéric Chopin – “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor Romance Larghetto” (The Truman Show)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – “Duettino Sull’aria from Le nozze di Figaro“ (The Shawshank Redemption)

Gustav Mahler – “Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor, Adagietto” (Death in Venice)

Richard Strauss – “Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30: I Prelude” (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Peter Il’yich Tchaikovsky – “Fantasy Overture from Romeo and Juliet“ (A Christmas Story)

Franz Schubert – “Polonaise in B Flat Major, D.580” (Little Women)

Dario Marianelli – “Dawn” (Pride & Prejudice)

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZezXVAhyJoSw1tbSYTslfXXH&si=Tg37dJ6ldT0DH7uv

Parsons Playlists: Sonnet 18

Posted on February 9, 2024 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Esther (class of 2025) which features some music for your Valentine’s Day enjoyment.

Sonnet 18

For the lovers and the dreamers! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 Andante

Schumann: Romance in F-sharp Major

Mahler: Symphony No. 5 Adagietto

Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 1

Liszt: Liebestraum No. 3

Sibelius: Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 78

Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet, “Fantasy Overture”

Puccini: La bohème “O soave fanciulla”

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde, “Prelude and Liebestod”

Mascagni: Intermezzo Sinfonica

Fauré: Après un Rêve

Bellini: I Puritani “A te, o cara”

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2, Adagio sostenuto

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.3, Largo

Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZeyPRn_axqEthrkKs-1nckTU&si=I68XVX-RPvJ38CF0

Parsons Playlists: Emotional Classical Music

Posted on October 20, 2023 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Amy (class of 2025) which explores how classical music can convey many emotions.

Emotional Classical Music

When people hear I enjoy listening to classical music, they often assume it’s the soft repetitive music most associate with studying. However, classical music is much more than just something to put on in the background. It is compelling storytelling, music I am not able to listen to while working because I am too enthralled by the story unfolding in my ears to pay attention to anything else. This is why I created this playlist: to show new classical music listeners that classical music is not a one-size-fits-all genre, it can convey anything you want it to.

Richard Wagner – Die Walkure, Act II: Ride of the Valkyries

Dimitri Shostakovich – String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110: IV. Largo

Dimitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93: II. Allegro

Gustav Holst – The Planets, Op. 32: 1. Mars, the Bringer of War

Carl Orff – Carmina Burana, Introduction, Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna

Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565: 1. Toccata

Johann Sebastian Bach – Orchestral Suite No. 2 in No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: VII. Badinerie

Giuseppe Verdi – Requiem, Dies Irae

Sergei Prokofiev – Romeo and Juliet Op. 64, Act 1, Scene 2: Dance of the Knights

Antonin Dvorak – Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 “From the New World”: IV. Allegro con fuoco

Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23, TH 55: 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Requiem in D Minor, K. 636 Sequence: VI. Lacrimosa Dies Illa

Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act 2: No. 10, Scene. Moderato

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSwAwMtTLDwg9SWLgHg8b8oTYudIv8wSu&si=_wDnpCg7fHAYvRkS

And here it is on Spotify:

Arachnophonia: Staatskapelle Dresden

Posted on September 6, 2023 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(s) for the item(s) in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Eli (class of 2024) and features several recordings made by the Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra. Thanks, Eli!

Staatskapelle Dresden Orchestra

Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra

While studying abroad, I was lucky enough to be able to attend a concert from the Staatskapelle Dresden, one of the world’s finest and most historic orchestras. Founded in 1548 by the Duke of Saxony, the Staatskapelle is now celebrating its 475th anniversary. The Staatskapelle plays in the famed Semperoper opera house, first built in 1841 in Baroque and Neo-Renaissance styles. Numerous composers have been linked with the orchestra throughout the years (most notably Strauss and Wagner), and the orchestra has held countless world premieres.

Sempoper - Home of the Staatskapelle

In 2009, the orchestra announced that Christian Thielemann would take on the role of chief conductor, a position he still holds. Thielemann, winner of the Richard Wagner Award and recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, is renowned for his balance between technical precision and expressive interpretation. Under his leadership, the orchestra continues to shape classical music and fascinate its audiences.

If you, too, would like to enjoy the Staatskapelle’s signature sound, the Parsons Music Library has quite the collection of their recordings. I highly recommend Strauss’ Alpine Symphony (M1002.S91 op.64 2007 DVD), Eugen Onegin by Tchaikovsky (RM1500.T35 E8 1988), or Mozart’s Requiem Mass (RM2010.M89 1991).

New CDs added: Summer 2023

Posted on August 1, 2023 by marmstr3

New CDs for Summer 2023

Orchestral, Concertos and Chamber Music

J.S. Bach – Complete Sonatas and Patritas for Solo Violin
Maria Bachmann – Fratres
Sir Granville Bantock – Celtic & Hebridian Symphonies
Ludwig van Beethoven – Complete Violin Sonatas, Volume 1 – Heifetz
Ludwig van Beethoven – Complete Violin Sonatas, Volume 2 – Heifetz
Ludwig van Beethoven – Complete Violin Sonatas, Volume 3 – Heifetz
Elliott Carter – Dialogues * Boston Concerto * Cello Concerto * ASKO Concerto
Elliott Carter – Orchestral Works
Shura Cherkassky – II
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast
Peter Maxwell Davies – The Beltane Fire

Peter Maxwell Davies - The Beltane Fire

Peter Maxwell Davies – Symphony No. 1
Berthold Goldschmidt – Orchestral Works
Berthold Goldschmidt – Three Concertos
Charles Ives – Universe Symphony
Franz Liszt – Emil von Sauer plays Liszt
Witold Lutosławski – Lutosławski – Penderecki- Cage – Mayuzumi: String Quartets
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 8: Symphony of a Thousand
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 9
Bohuslav Martinu – Bohuslav Martinu – The Louisville Orchestra
Bohuslav Martinu – Fantasies Symphoniques * Fresques * Juliette

bachmann fratres

Midori – Live at Carnegie Hall
Darius Milhaud – Milhaud Conducts Milhaud
Paul Moravec – Tempest Fantasy
Sergeĭ Nakari͡akov – Carmen Fantasie: Virtuoso Music for Trumpet
Einojuhani Rautavaara – Garden of Spaces * Clarinet Concerto * Cantus Arcticus
Arturo Sandoval – The Classical Album
Adolphe Sax – America’s Millinnium Tribute to Adolphe Sax, Volume II
Adolphe Sax – America’s Millennium Tribute to Adolphe Sax, Volume VII
Franz Schubert – Sonata for arpeggione and piano – Rostropovich
Joseph Schwantner – Angelfire * Beyond Autumn * September Canticle * A Sudden Rainbow
Various Artists – 125 Years of the Leningrad Conservatoire

Charles Ives - Universe Symphony

Jazz

Dave Brubeck Quartet – So What’s New?
Allen Farnham – 5th House

Dave Brubeck Quartet - So What's New?

Samara Joy – Linger Awhile
Andy Narell and Calypsociation – The Passage

Samara Joy - Linger Awhile

Opera, Opera Excerpts, Choral Music and Art Songs

Arleen Auger – Love Songs
Johann Sebastian Bach – Epiphany Mass
Kathleen Battle – Live at Carnegie Hall
Alban Berg – Seven Early Songs
Hector Berlioz – La Revoution Grecque

Hector Berlioz - La Revolution Grecque

Christoph Willibald Gluck- Orphée et Eurydice
Aleksandr Tikhonovich Grechaninov – Songs of Grechaninov
George Frideric Handel – Theodora

G. F. Handel - Theodora

Emma Kirkby – The Emma Kirkby Collection
Stefano Landi – Il Sant’Alessio
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Exultate Jubilate
Stephen Paulus – To Be Certain of the Dawn
Joaquin Rodrigo – Cantico: Obros para Voces, Coro, y Orquesta

Elena Ruehr - Averno

Elena Ruehr – Averno
John Tavener – The Veil of the Temple
Georg Philipp Telemann – Orpheus
Kurt Weill – Street Scene

Elliott Carter - Dialogues

Folk Music

Zespol Polski – Chopin: Spirit of the Lowlands

Zespol Polski - Spirit of the Lowlands

Early Music

Carlo Gesualdo – Prince of Madrigalists
Hildegard von Bingen – 11,000 Virgins: Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula

Hildegard von Bingen - 11,000 Virgins

Claudio Monteverdi – Vespiri di S. Giovanni Battista
Orlando Consort – The Saracen and the Dove
Thomas Tomkins- Above the Starrs

Thomas Tomkins - Above the Starrs

Piano and Harpsichord Music

Martha Argerich – I
Johann Sebastian Bach – Goldberg Variations – Keith Jarrett
Harold Bauer – The 1929 Victor and 1939 Schirmer Recordings
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano sonatas opp. 54, 57, 78, 90 – Maurizio Pollini
Ludwig van Beethoven – Klaviersonaten : No. 17 op. 31, no. 2 ; No. 21, op. 53 ; No. 25, op. 79 ; No. 26, op. 81a – Maurizio Pollini

Yundi Li - Chopin Recital

Frédéric Chopin – Sonata no. 2 in B flat minor, op. 35 ; Sonata no. 3 in B minor, op. 58 – Mitsuko Uchida
Frédéric Chopin – Chopin Recital – Yundi Li
György Ligeti – Works for Piano. Etudes – Musica Ricercata
Jon Nakamatsu – Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Murray Perahia – Murray Perahia Plays Franck & Liszt

Sir Granville Bantock – Celtic & Hebridian Symphonies

Arachnophonia: Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)

Posted on March 20, 2023 by marmstr3

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 Wonyoung (class of 2024) and features Mozart’s opera Le Nozze di Figaro. Thanks, Wonyoung!

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Marriage of Figaro cover to full score

Most people in the 21st century have forgotten the appeal of classical music. One of these includes operas and arias. A majority of people will have a general idea of Mozart but when asked to identify some of his works, they will only be able to associate him with only pieces that are played by just an orchestra. However, one of Mozart’s most well known works is Le nozze di Figaro.

Le nozze di Figaro is an opera that Mozart composed in 1786. It is rich in storyline with themes such as romance and revenge and as well as humor throughout to keep the audience engaged. With some of the most well known arias for opera singers being from Le nozze di Figaro, it is an opera that is worth looking into.

Opera may seem very dry at first but in reality it is just a play but rather than the dialogue being spoken, it is sung. Le nozze di Figaro is very special to me because it was the first opera I got to see live, but not only that it was performed by my voice teacher in South Korea to whom I credit everything I know how to do today. And so I would like to recommend Le nozze di Figaro from our Music library.

Parsons Playlists: Music from Tom & Jerry

Posted on January 20, 2023 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Xipeng (class of 2024) and features music used in the soundtracks of Tom & Jerry cartoons.

Music from Tom and Jerry

The Tom & Jerry cartoons provided me with so much inspiration for my piano practice when I was a kid, and this playlist of a small collection of the original soundtracks, reminds me of my childhood memories.

Tom and Jerry

Johan Pachelbel – “Canon in D” (London Symphony Orchestra)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Symphony No.41 in C Major “Jupitar” K.551 (English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner)

Johannes Brahms – 21 Hungarian Dances No.5 in G Minor: Allegro (Wiener Philharmoniker)

Ludwig van Beethoven – Bagatelle No. 25 in A Minor, “Für Elise”, WoO 59 (Lang Lang)

Anonymous – “Sari Galin” (Farid Farjad)

Francois-Joseph Gossec – Gavotte in D Major, “Rosine” (arr. for violin and piano) (Takako Nishizaki)

Stephen Foster – “Old Folks At Home” (Tom Roush)

Anonymous – “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” (Woody Guthrie)

Gerardo Hernán Matos Rodríguez – La Cumparsita, tango (Ensemble Contraste)

Frédéric Chopin – Grande Valse Brillante, Op. 18, No.1 in E-Flat Major (Lang Lang)

Anonymous – “Deck The Halls” (The Ames Brothers)

Eduardo di Capua – “Maria, Marì” (Luciano Pavarotti, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna)

Anonymous – “Froggie Went A-Courtin'” (Woody Guthrie)

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZewM9r0M6kQyxNW8PbpHUKWW

[Editor’s note: And here is a fun piece about classical music in cartoons from Classic FM: https://www.classicfm.com/composers/liszt/cartoonist-how-generation-learned-classical-music-bugs-bunny/ ]

Parsons Playlists: Music for Two Pianos from Martha Argerich

Posted on November 14, 2022 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Xipeng (class of 2024) and features works for two pianos performed by Argentinian classical concert pianist Martha Argerich and friends.

Music for Two Pianos from Martha Argerich

Martha Argerich has always been one of my favorite pianists, and it’s amazing how two pianos can produce the sound of an entire orchestra. Enjoy this exhilarating complete performance!

martha argerich two pianos

Tchaikovsky: Suite from the Nutcracker, Op. 71a Arranged for two pianos by Nicolas Economou (Martha Argerich/ Lilya Zilberstein)

Rachmaninov: Suite No.2 in C Major, Op.17 (Martha Argerich / Gabriela Montero)

Rachmaninov: 6 Morceaux, Op.11 (Martha Argerich / Lilya Zilberstein)

Brahms: Sonata for 2 Pianos in F minor, Op. 34b (Martha Argerich / Lilya Zilberstein)

Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn for 2 Pianos, Op. 56b “St. Antoni Chorale” (Martha Argerich / Polina Leschenko)

Prokofiev / Symphony No.1 in D Major, Op. 25 “Classical” Arr. Rikuya Terashima (Martha Argerich / Nelson Freire)

Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos, K. 448 (Martha Argerich / Daniel Barenboim)

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zeyn2KswGm9bpnTmsPUH3n_z

Arachnophonia: Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s Life

Posted on October 5, 2022 by marmstr3

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 Esther (class of 2025) and features a collection of Mozart’s letters. Thanks, Esther!

Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s Life: Selected Letters
Edited and translated by Robert Spaethling

Portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 13 in Verona, 1770

When we first hear the term “classical music,” we often think of great composers like Beethoven and Mozart. Despite his relatively short life, Mozart is known and celebrated for his prodigious musicality and influential compositions even to this day. But what was Mozart like? You may know several of his pieces, but have you taken the time to consider the person behind these famous pieces?

There’s no better way of being first introduced to Mozart’s private life than Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s Life by Robert Spaethling. Spaethling, a scholar of German literature of the 19th and 20th centuries and Mozart, has carefully chosen and depicted a compilation of Mozart’s letters spanning twenty-two years of the young composer’s life. Spaethling’s most recent edit of these letters provides us with the most accurate translation to appropriately convey Mozart’s nuanced personality.

Mozarts Letters Mozarts Life

Through Mozart’s Letters, Mozart’s Life, we are invited to explore Mozart’s innermost thoughts and raw perspective of life. In addition to the analysis of the different voices that shine through in Mozart’s candid letters, Spaethling includes information, such as various life events throughout the composer’s life, that encourages us to think deeply and have greater appreciation for the person behind these great works.

Parsons Playlists: A Mini Collection of Mozart

Posted on April 15, 2022 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Xipeng (class of 2024) and features works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

A Mini Collection of Mozart

I have to say that my childhood was accompanied with Mozart’s music, and today’s playlist is all about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!

violin solo with orchestra