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Archive: August 2013 (8 Posts)

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The “Perfect” Problem: A Sketch

Posted by: David Plylar

Occasionally it is a worthwhile exercise to pose the “perfect” problem—that is, how do perceptions of perfection influence our encounters with art? The scope of this question is vast, so I will raise just a few considerations one might have on a visit to the Music Division of the Library of Congress or a concert …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

“We’ll walk hand in hand someday” – Music and the March on Washington

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

Our nation is in the midst of commemorating one of the single most significant days in our history, the March on Washington of August 28, 1963. That momentous occasion has shaped generations of Americans, from activists to community leaders and the President of the United States to the singer-songwriter performing original songs in an eclectic …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Jacopo, Jacopo, wherefore art thou Jacopo?

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

      Many of us who are lucky enough to work here at the Library of Congress get to experience giddiness frequently. We are surrounded by amazing treasures of all types and forms day-in and day-out. Every day leads to a new discovery in the collections. One of the topics that makes us particularly …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Sheet Music of the Week: World Mosquito Day Edition

Posted by: Pat Padua

The following is a guest post by Stephanie A. Hall, American Folklife Center. World Mosquito Day, August 20th,  commemorates the day in 1897  when Dr. Ronald Ross of Great Britain discovered that female mosquitoes transmit malaria. Many items in the Music Division of the Library of Congress and other performing arts materials throughout the Library …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

New Exhibit: A Night at the Opera

Posted by: Cait Miller

Every six months the Performing Arts Reading Room looks forward to the installation of a new exhibit in the reading room’s foyer. Over the years staff and readers have learned about the riches of the Music Division’s collections by exploring exhibits on topics ranging from the Ballets Russes, to Music and Animation, to the Federal …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

2013-2014 Concerts from the Library of Congress Season Brochure

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

Check out our newly released 2013-2014 Concerts from the Library of Congress Season Brochure. Join us for an exciting season of stellar concerts—classical pop, country, jazz, Americana, rock, bluegrass and musical theater. Plus, you will have the opportunity to be a part of unique experiences only available at the world’s largest music library. The season …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Biber Fever: Baroque Remix

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

Approximately 350 years before young pop artist Justin Bieber joined planet earth, the original Biber (pronounced Beeber, as “Bieber”) was born in Wartenberg, Bohemia. Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (baptized August 12, 1644, died May 3, 1704) was the rage in Austria and Central Europe for much of the seventeenth century (top that Justin!). His …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

2013-2014 Concert Season Preview Podcast

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

Hear Anne McLean, Nicholas Alexander Brown and David H. Plylar of the Music Division’s Concert Office discuss the upcoming 2013-2014 concert season with Chloe Veltman. For more information about the 2013-2014 season, please read our season preview website. The new concert brochure will be available online and mailed in the coming weeks. Click here for …