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Category: Music History and Appreciation

Photograph of three Oscars standing in a row next to each other.

Let’s Go to the Movies!: Max Steiner

Posted by: Katie Rodda

This week's blog post takes a look at the life of film music composer Max Steiner, as well as the materials in the NLS collection related to him and his music.

Posted in: American Composers, Braille, Braille and Audio Reading Download BARD, Braille Music, Broadway, Film Music, Motion Picture Music, Music Composition, Music History and Appreciation, NLS Music Section, NLS Online Catalog, Piano, Piano Instruction, Popular Music, Soundtrack, Talking Books, Tin Pan Alley, World War I

This photo depicts a person accessing BARD mobile on a digital device. The screen of the device is visibile with the BARD mobile app open.

New BARD Additions: January 2023

Posted by: Katie Rodda

Today’s blog post rounds up all the new digital acquisitions and digitized items added to BARD in January 2023 by the NLS Music Section.

Posted in: American Composers, Art Songs, Braille, Braille and Audio Reading Download BARD, Braille Music, Braille Music Digitization, Choral, Classical Music, Gospel music, Guitar, Guitar instruction, Latinx Music, Music Composition, Music Education, Music History and Appreciation, Music Instruction, New Acquisitions, NLS Music Section, Opera, Organ, Piano, Piano Instruction, Piano Music, Pop Music, Popular Music, Recordings, Soundtrack, Talking Books, Violin music, Vocal music, World Music

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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."

Posted in: Braille, Braille and Audio Reading Download BARD, Braille Music, Braille Music Digitization, Classical Music, Folk Music, History, Instrumental Music, Large Print, Large Print Music, Library of Congress, Music Composition, Music History and Appreciation, NLS Music Section, Performing music, Piano, Piano Instruction, Piano Music, Talking Books, Uncategorized, Virtuosic Piano Music

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Let’s Go to the Movies!: James Bond

Posted by: Katie Rodda

This week's blog post examines the music from the James Bond films through the years and provides resources available from the NLS Music Section.

Posted in: Audio, Braille, Braille and Audio Reading Download BARD, Braille Music, Electric guitar, Guitar, Guitar instruction, Music Composition, Music History and Appreciation, Music Instruction, NLS Music Section, Performing music, Piano, Piano Music, Pop Music, Popular Music, Soundtrack, Talking Books

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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.

Posted in: Braille and Audio Reading Download BARD, Braille Music, Classical Music, Large Print, Large Print Music, Library of Congress, Music and Art, Music Composition, Music History and Appreciation, NLS Music Section, NLS Online Catalog, Orchestra, Paris, Piano, Piano Music, Program Music, Uncategorized

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19th-Century Tactile Music Notation in Spain

Posted by: Lindsay Conway

Did you know that systems of tactile music notation were created in the 19th century to enable people who were blind to read and write music? Today, we will learn about two systems that were developed and used in Spain before braille music code gained widespread adoption in the 20th century.

Posted in: Blind Musicians, Blind Teachers, Braille, Braille History, Braille Music, Institut national des jeunes aveugles, Joaquin Rodrigo, Music Education, Music History and Appreciation, Spain, teachers, Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

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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.

Posted in: Braille, Braille and Audio Reading Download BARD, Braille libretto, Braille Music, Braille Music Digitization, Classical Music, History, Large Print, Large Print Music, Library of Congress, Libretto, Music Composition, Music History and Appreciation, Musical instruments, New Acquisitions, NLS Music Section, NLS Online Catalog, Performing music, Uncategorized, Voyager Catalog