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Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Head of Acquisitions & Processing Denise Gallo. This past weekend marked the 198th birthday of Giuseppe Verdi. Born in Le Roncole, Italy, Verdi went from humble origins to become one of the most influential opera composers of his day. And that fame continues, as works like Rigoletto, Aida, …
Posted in: Birthdays, Guest bloggers, Sheet Music of the Week
Posted by: Cait Miller
Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s new documentary, “Prohibition,” aired this week on PBS and I’m sure that many of you have seen it already (if you haven’t caught it on TV yet, you can watch it online here!). In the film, Burns and Novick explore the rise and fall of the Eighteenth Amendment to …
Posted in: Pic of the Week, Special Collections
Posted by: Cait Miller
This week we recognize what would have been President William Taft’s 154th birthday by delving into the Library’s digitized collection of Presidential Campaign Songs. Taft was the 27th President of the United States, serving from 1909-1913. Note that this week’s Sheet Music of the Week, “President Taft, He’s All Right” with words and music by …
Posted in: Sheet Music, Sheet Music of the Week
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Music Archivist Chris Hartten. George Antheil radicalized musical composition in ways that few before him had ever attempted. Born at the turn of the twentieth century in Trenton, New Jersey, Antheil traveled to Europe in 1922 to pursue “ultra-modernist” composition with financial support from arts patroness and Curtis …
Posted in: Composers, Guest bloggers, Special Collections
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Music Reference Specialist James Wintle. On August 21, 1959, Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation welcoming Hawaii as the 50th state of the union. As the only state made up entirely of islands, Hawaii has an unusually rich and diverse cultural heritage. It is home to a number …
Posted in: Guest bloggers, Women in Music
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Head of Acquisitions & Processing Denise Gallo. After Southern troops defeated his army at the Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, Abraham Lincoln realized that he would need someone dynamic to take charge, especially in efforts to protect Washington, D.C. and its surroundings. At 75, the …
Posted in: Sheet Music, Sheet Music of the Week, Staff
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from House Manager of the Concert Office, Solomon HaileSelassie. It’s August in Washington and there is record heat, high humidity, Congress is in recess and children everywhere are creating havoc as their school year draws near. But cultural institutions are strapping in — press releases are flying in from …
Posted in: Concerts and Events, Guest bloggers
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Senior Music Cataloger Sharon McKinley. Yesterday marked the 34th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death (1935-1977). If he were still alive today, he would be 76 years old – it’s hard to imagine how he’d look in rhinestones at that age, but no matter; he’s forever young in …
Posted in: Guest bloggers
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from 2011 Junior Fellow Jarek Ervin. My name is Jarek Ervin, and I spent my summer working as a Junior Fellow for the Music Division at the Library of Congress. During the year, I am a graduate student studying Music History at Temple University. My research is mostly focused …
Posted in: Guest bloggers, Special Collections