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Posted by: David Plylar
I woke up on Friday morning with Frühlingstimmen on my mind, either because subconsciously I was aware that it was supposed to be the first day of Spring, or perhaps I have larger concerns given that I am hearing voices of Spring in my head. In any case, I was puzzled to see that it …
Posted in: Composers, Concerts and Events, Dance, Special Collections
Posted by: David Plylar
Have you ever forgotten the pleasures of an early romance, or been unable to recall a tune that is just at the back of your mind? Or, perhaps like late Liszt, have you ever forgotten your keys? Such is the fate of a great deal of wonderful music, and prompted by the occasion of what …
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Musicians, Special Collections
Posted by: David Plylar
The following is a guest post from Concert Office intern Rachael Sanguinetti As a young singer, Samuel Barber’s vocal works are a prominent part of my musical life. Barber’s English songs have been a part of my repertoire from my earliest years of voice lessons around age 15 and have remained with me through my …
Posted in: Composers, Guest bloggers, Special Collections
Posted by: David Plylar
Happy Birthday, György Ligeti! The great composer was born this day in 1923, and since his passing in 2006 his music has continued to inspire. The Library of Congress has a special relationship with one of Ligeti’s works in particular: Ramifications for string orchestra or twelve solo strings. Commissioned by the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation …
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Special Collections
Posted by: David Plylar
Last week on May 7, Brahms and Tchaikovsky shared a birthday—an annual event since Tchaikovsky waltzed into the world in1840, seven years after Brahms. While the composers may not have cared much for one another, at this great historical remove we can appreciate the music of both men without worrying about offending the other camp—there …
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Musicians, Sheet Music, Special Collections
Posted by: David Plylar
The stars are aligning this Friday at the Library of Congress, when a constellation of great pieces and great performers come together to illuminate Serge Koussevitzky as the cynosure of the evening. The Library of Congress is celebrating the merger of Koussevitzky’s two foundations into a single entity housed at the Library with a concert …
Posted in: Composers, Concerts and Events, Musicians, Special Collections
Posted by: David Plylar
The magnificent collection of Liszt manuscripts held at the Library of Congress includes a number of rarely heard works, including two of the three Funeral Odes (Trois odes funèbres). Liszt composed some fifteen versions of the Funeral Odes, even desiring one of them to be performed at his funeral service (Spoiler Alert: none of Liszt’s …
Posted in: Composers, Curators, Musicians, Sheet Music, Special Collections, Staff
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 …
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Concerts and Events, Conservation, Curators, Film Music, Musicians, Podcasts, Special Collections, Staff
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 …
Posted in: Composers, Musicians, Special Collections