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Category: Composers

Echoes of the Baroque: Exploring Henry Purcell’s Music at the Library of Congress

Posted by: Heather Darnell

The following is a guest post by Reference Librarian and early music specialist, Dr. Stacey Jocoy. The Library of Congress is pleased to announce Henry Purcell: A Guide to Resources at the Library of Congress, a new research guide dedicated to one of the Baroque era’s most influential composers. Often called the “English Orpheus,” Purcell …

Image of part of the score for "The Three Caballeros" with text and notated music.

“Good Neighbors”: An Example of Mariachi in American Popular Culture

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

Explore the way Disney showcased the work of Mexican songwriters Manuel Esperón and Ernesto Cortár in several popular animated films in the 1940s as part of their effort to incorporate FDR's "Good Neighbor" policy. The effort resulted in sharing elements of mariachi music with American film audiences. This guest blog by Music Reference Specialist Stacey Jocoy draws on an insightful interview with ethnomusicologist and mariachi expert Dr. Lauryn Salazar (Associate Professor of Music, Tarleton State University).

Contact sheet of multiple black and white images of Jonathan Larson in different seated poses.

“The Jonathan Larson Project” Sourced from Library of Congress Collection

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

Discover how manuscripts from the Music Division's Jonathan Larson Collection have shaped the creation of "The Jonathan Larson Project," now running off-Broadway in New York. Senior Music Specialist Mark Eden Horowitz discusses how show creator Jennifer Ashley Tepper's research in the collection led to the creation of this new show that brings to the songs that did not make the final cut for some of Larson's major projects.

Brandee Younger standing next to her harp

Reminder: March 12, 2025 Ticket Release for Concerts from the Library of Congress

Posted by: David Plylar

*** Registrations for May-June 2025 events will be available starting at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday, March 12, 2025*** The 100th season of Concerts from the Library of Congress continues with an exciting lineup of concerts through June 2025. Tickets for May and June events will be available starting at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, …

Excerpt of first page of manuscript for Adams "El Niño."

John Adams’ El Niño: A Modern Christmas Message

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

In time for the Christmas season, Senior Music Specialist Kate Rivers explores manuscript sources of composer John Adams' opera-oratorio "El Niño." Composed in 2000 and recently presented at the Metropolitan Opera, "El Niño" is widely regarded as a masterwork of contemporary sacred music. Learn about the primary sources related to the work in the John Adams Music Manuscripts and Papers in the Music Division.

Image of saxophone player in Air Force uniform playing their instrument, with other musicians on stage in the background.

From the Coolidge Auditorium to the WETA Airwaves

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

Save the date for the return of the Library's concert series to the airwaves on December 30, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET on WETA. Enjoy a broadcast of the February 12, 2024, "Rhapsody in Blue" at 100 concert featuring The U.S. Air Force Band and pianist Simone Dinnerstein. The Library of Congress is home to the George and Ira Gershwin Collection.