Wednesday, February 1, 2017 – 12:00 pm [Gallery Talk]
Here to Stay: The Legacy of George and Ira Gershwin
Senior music specialist and exhibit curator Raymond White introduces treasures of the George and Ira Gershwin Collection. He will discuss the types of items on exhibit, including music manuscripts, lyric sheets, letters, photographs, and the new addition of George Gershwin’s Tiffany & Co. sterling silver letter opener. This exciting dive into one of the Library’s major performing arts collections is sure to amaze and surprise!
Gershwin Room, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
Free, no tickets required
George and Ira Gershwin Collection
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Friday, February 3, 2017 – 7:00 pm [Film]
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Toon Tunes with Solomon HaileSelassie
The world of film animation displays great variety in the techniques used to produce the images and in how those images interact with the sound environment. We will explore four feature-length 35mm films and their music, along with a few classic animated shorts as an appetizer.
About Princess Mononoke (1997) | 134 min.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
The multi-award winning anime classic features a stirring story supported by a star-studded cast (we will watch the English version), including Billy Crudup, Billy Bob Thornton, Minnie Driver, Claire Danes, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gillian Anderson and Keith David. Scored by Joe Hisaishi.
Pickford Theater, James Madison Memorial Building
Free, tickets required
Advance tickets are no longer available. The standby queue will form at 6:30pm in the Pickford Theater lobby.
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Saturday, February 4, 2017 – 8:00 pm [Concert]
Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XXI
Driss El Maloumi, oud | Dimitri Psonis, santur and morisca
Hakan Güngor, kanun | Haïg Sakuroujandian, duduk and belul
Orthodox-Byzantine Vocal Ensemble, Panagiotis Neochoritis, Director
La Capella Reial de Catalunya | Le Concert des Nations
Jordi Savall, Director
Early music luminary Jordi Savall convenes exceptional performers, classical and traditional, to illuminate the rich musical history of “La Serenissima” over a thousand years of empire. This unusual program chronicles the ecumenical and cosmopolitan society of the Venetian Republic and its dialogue of cultures, drawing in perspectives from East and West, from Byzantine hymns and Ottoman marches to the compositions of Dufay, Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Cavalli and Vivaldi.
Program
Gateway to the East: “Works by Dufay, Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Cavalli, Vivaldi and others”
Coolidge Auditorium, Thomas Jefferson Building
Free, tickets required
Program booklet
If advance tickets are no longer available via Eventbrite, RUSH passes will be distributed at the door beginning at 6:00 pm.
Pre-concert conversation (6:30 pm – Whittall Pavilion)
Free, no tickets required
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Around the Library
January 23-February 4, 2017, 10:00 am-3:00 pm
Mahogany Row, LJ110-LJ113, Thomas Jefferson Building
A two-week display on inaugurations at the Library of Congress features presidential treasures—the handwritten speeches of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln—and collections on the lighter side: menus, dance cards and souvenirs. The display will include newspapers, film clips, a demonstration of online resources and a challenging presidential history quiz.
The first stop for visitors will be room 113, where Lincoln’s famous First Inaugural Address (“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection …”) will be on display, along with the Bible that Lincoln used at his first inauguration and the pearl necklace worn by Mary Todd Lincoln. Also on view will be the handwritten inaugural speeches delivered by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and a letter written by Washington voicing trepidation about becoming president. Librarians and archivists will be available to discuss the documents and answer questions.
In the connecting rooms, visitors will find inaugural souvenirs from incoming presidents’ parties and parades. An early newspaper report on an inauguration will be on view, and Library staff will demonstrate Chronicling America, a website providing access to historic newspapers that is maintained by the Library of Congress. Film clips will portray the speeches and parades, and there will be demonstrations of the Library’s presidential inaugurations website. The quiz will challenge visitors’ knowledge of inaugural firsts. Sample question: Who was the first president to ride to his inauguration in an automobile?