Top of page
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
On April 9, 1939, American contralto Marian Anderson (1897-1993) stood as a beacon of hope for a country being torn apart by racial strife. Anderson’s legendary performance at the Lincoln Memorial on that Easter Sunday exists in the annals of American history as a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights movement. After being denied the …
Posted in: Interviews, Musicians, Women in Music
Posted by: Cait Miller
This Friday, April 5, the Library of Congress is excited to host singer-songwriter/composer/musician Gabriel Kahane with pianist-composer Timothy Andres as the two artists present an evening of piano-vocal music that features their own original music alongside that of Bach, Schumann, Britten, Ives, and others. Kahane made an impression in 2006 with his well-known song cycle …
Posted in: Composers, Concerts and Events
Posted by: Pat Padua
Like the tale of the blind men and the elephant, an artifact of popular culture as vivid as today’s featured sheet music at right has a variety of angles worth pursuing. What of the career of Austrian composer Heinrich Reinhardt, or lyricist Robert Bache Smith? And what of that fantastic cover art, which features besotted …
Posted in: Sheet Music, Sheet Music of the Week, Special Collections, Theater
Posted by: Pat Padua
The following is the third in a series of guest posts by retired Senior Music Cataloger Sharon McKinley. Mark Baker (Junior Fellow Summer Intern, 2007) has been very busy in school, both as an Adjunct Professor and a grad student at the University of Maryland University College. He completed his MBA degree in 2010 and his …
Posted in: Guest bloggers, Newly Cataloged, Staff
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
One of the themes resulting from the multitude of Civil War Sesquicentennial commemorations around the country is the notion that the role of African American culture during that great conflict must receive more attention. Both scholarly forums and the general public’s continued dialogue about the war’s enduring impact on American society can provide opportunities to …
Posted in: Concerts and Events, Curators, Exhibitions, Musicians
Posted by: Pat Padua
The following is a guest post by Daniel Walshaw, Music Division. Danny Kaye’s contributions to American culture and entertainment are unmatched. He mastered nearly every aspect of show business – stage, film, television, radio, recordings, and even orchestral conducting. Despite his demanding performance schedule, he was also one of the most generous celebrity humanitarians donating …
Posted in: Exhibitions, Film Music, Guest bloggers, Women in Music
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
Country music is at home in the Coolidge Auditorium on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 (8:00 p.m.). Bob DiPiero returns to host the latest installment of the Country Music Association Songwriters Series, which features country music legends Ronnie Milsap, Loretta Lynn “Lorrie” Morgan and Jim Beavers. These award-winning artists bring their talent and musical innovation together …
Posted in: Composers, Concerts and Events, Musicians
Posted by: Cait Miller
On Tuesday, March 19, Todd Decker will present another in a series of lectures co-sponsored by the Library of Congress and the American Musicological Society (AMS) intended to showcase research AMS members have conducted using the rich collections of the Music Division of the Library of Congress. Dr. Decker’s lecture, “Making Show Boat: Jerome Kern, …
Posted in: Special Collections
Posted by: Pat Padua
Today is a date on which we celebrate not only the mathematical constant used to determine circular measurements, but the delicious treat whose circular shape comforts us from the cooling windowsill to our growling stomach. Yet all is not rosy in the august lore of piedom. Hubbard T. Smith’s “The little pie” tells the antiquated …
Posted in: Sheet Music of the Week