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Archive: 2013 (9 Posts)

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Wagnerds Unite!

Posted by: David Plylar

There comes a time in every anniversary year when the candles must be blown out—this year it is a necessity, as 200 candles each for Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi constitute a fire hazard, and the Library does not want to host its own “immolation” scene. But Wotan to your seats—Concerts from the Library of …

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Graham Nash: WILD TALES

Posted by: David Plylar

The Library is pleased to welcome iconic musician Graham Nash to “Our House” on Monday, September 16 to talk about his new book, WILD TALES: A Rock & Roll Life. Nash has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, for his work with The Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash (also …

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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 …

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Gelukkige verjaardag! Eugène Ysaÿe at 155

Posted by: David Plylar

On June 16, 1858, the great Belgian violinist, composer and conductor Eugène Ysaÿe was born. A well-known icon to most violinists, he was a major transitional figure in the development of modern violin performance practice. In addition to his compositional work, Ysaÿe was also an advocate of transcription, and made interesting forays into that world. …

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Stile Antics at the Library: Not your “Liber Usualis”

Posted by: David Plylar

I was discussing the upcoming appearance of the British choral group Stile Antico with my colleague Susan Clermont, a reference specialist at the Library of Congress, and she related a story about a motet anthology held at the Library of Congress so tinged with intrigue and the lust for printing power that it prompted retelling …

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A Rameaukin of Rameau’s kin

Posted by: David Plylar

On Saturday afternoon the Coolidge Collective (my new name for our dedicated audience) will descend on the Library for a fête du clavecin, served by the great harpsichordist and founder/director of Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset. The program will include a delectable assortment of harpsichord works both familiar and less so, featuring music by François …

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PagaNewni: Composers Rise to the Paganini Challenge–A Paganini Project Update

Posted by: David Plylar

Friday, February 1, 2013. The following is a guest post provided by Peter Sheppard Skærved, who recently appeared at the Library in events dedicated to its Paganini holdings and collection of Cremonese instruments. I am powerfully aware of the constant dialogue between past and present. Working as a violinist equally involved with the discovery of …