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Category: Library of Congress

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Song Stories: Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday”

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, we learn the story behind Stevie Wonder's song, "Happy Birthday."

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Hidden Gems of the NLS Collection: Béla Bartók’s “Allegro Barbaro”

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

This week, learn more about how ancient dialects influenced the composition of one of Bela Bartok's most famous works, "Allegro Barbaro."

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Remembering Ned Rorem

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

Ned Rorem, who passed away last month at the age of 99, left behind a wealth of music and literature. For this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, learn more about Rorem's life and creative works.

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Song Stories: Camille Saint-Saëns and “Danse macabre”

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, we take a deep dive into a piece that is often associated with the October tradition of Halloween: "Danse macabre" by Camille Saint-Saëns.

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Hidden Gems of the NLS Collection: Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Flute and Piano

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, learn more about one of our newest items acquired via the Marrakesh Treaty: Francis Poulenc's Sonata for Flute and Piano. Commissioned by the Library of Congress and dedicated to Jean-Pierre Rampal , the Sonata has become a standard in the repertoire.

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Junior Fellows Enhance Discoverability of Music Resources Related to Blind Musicians–Part 2

Posted by: Lindsay Conway

This is a guest blog post by Library of Congress Junior Fellow Analisa Caso. Analisa describes her contributions to the NLS Music Section during the 10-week-long program.

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Song Stories: Woody Guthrie’s “Dust Bowl Ballads”

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

Born on July 14, 1912, Woody Guthrie earned the nickname "The Dust Bowl Troubadour" with the 1940 release of "Dust Bowl Ballads." In this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, learn more about the most successful album of Guthrie's career and how it influenced a new generation of artists.

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Schumann’s Character Pieces

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes Blog post, our Braille Music Specialist Timothy Jones discusses Robert Schumann and one of his sets of Character Pieces for piano, "Scenes from Childhood."