The mention of late-eighteenth century Vienna frequently conjures thoughts of well-known composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. But since I joined a project reporting pre-1800 imprints and manuscripts to RISM (Répertoire International des Sources Musicales, an open-access database that lets you see which libraries have a certain published score or unique manuscript), I would like …
Since publishing Leaves of Grass in June 1855, Walt Whitman and his poetry have captured the American imagination. Not until the early twentieth century, however, did composers begin to draw from and set to music Whitman’s work in earnest. Today, 200 years after Whitman’s birth, his settings have inspired over 500 composers to write over …
The following is a guest post from Lara Szypszak, Reference Librarian in the Manuscript Division. Mary Hallock Greenewalt (1871-1950) was a musician, inventor, businesswoman, and all around go-getter, whose work leaves traces throughout several divisions of the Library of Congress, most prominently in the Manuscript and Music Divisions. Greenewalt was born in Bhamdoun, a small …
On the 80th anniversary of the opening of the 1939 New York World's Fair, discover primary sources in the Music Division that played starring roles in it all.
The Music Division is lucky to say that we have a 55-year history with the musical giant George Crumb. In honor of the DC premiere of our third commissioned work from George Crumb on April 18, let’s take a stroll down memory lane.
The following is a guest post by Anne McLean of the Music Division. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director Marin Alsop brings the BSO’s talented OrchKids to the Library on Saturday, April 13. Fans of all ages are cordially invited to an afternoon of performances honoring iconic jazz composers Jelly Roll Morton and Scott Joplin and …
The Music Division of the Library of Congress will be presenting a series of events exploring video game music, from retro bits to VR hits. We will be looking at the history of game music, and learning about how it works from acclaimed musicians who are actively composing for some of the biggest franchises and …
As promised, every Wednesday this month In the Muse is featuring a blog post that highlights stories and names that lie within the Music Division’s recently-launched digital collection, Women’s Suffrage in Sheet Music. Last week, I located a newspaper article that contextualized Fanny Connable Lancaster and Florence Livingston Lent’s “Suffrage Marching Song” and described its …
Did you know that the Music Division has been an integral part of creating contemporary music since 1925? In honor of Women’s History Month, I’d like to share an impressive list of “firsts” – the first women composers commissioned by each fund in the Library of Congress Music Division!
