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Category: Orchestra

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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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American Music from A to Z in the NLS Music Collection: I—Charles Ives and the Concord Sonata

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

As we continue our A to Z journey through the NLS Music Collection, we take a closer examination of the Piano Sonata no. 2 "Concord, Mass., 1840-1860" by Charles Ives, otherwise known as the "Concord Sonata."

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New BARD Additions: December 2021

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

In this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, we bring you the latest offerings that have been added to BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download). Please enjoy this musical feast, and Happy Holidays from the NLS Music Section!

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Progressive Rock, Classical Influences

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

Progressive Rock drew its inspiration from a number of influences. For this week's NLS Music Notes Blog post, learn more about the classical music that inspired Rush, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, and many others!

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American Music from A to Z in the NLS Music Collection: E—Eastman School of Music

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

In our alphabetical journey through the NLS Music Collection, we have arrived this month at the letter E. 2021 is the centennial of the founding of one of the world's leading music schools, the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Composers, educators, performers, and other music pioneers from this prestigious institution are represented far and wide throughout our holdings.

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Hidden Gems of the NLS Collection: Toccata, Villancico y Fuga, Op. 18 by Alberto Ginastera

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month. It is a time when we celebrate the generations of Hispanic and Latino Americans that have contributed to our society in positive and meaningful ways. On our journey through the treasures of the NLS Music collection, we recently came across a wonderful work written for organ by Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983), the Toccata, Villancico y Fuga, Op. 18. While this work is performed by organists on a regular basis, the rest of us would benefit from learning more about both the composer and the composition.

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Song Stories: Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915”

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this installment of "Song Stories", we are going to explore how James Agee's prose and Samuel Barber's music came together for "Knoxville: Summer of 1915."

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Triumph over Tragedy: The Love Story of Victoria and Joaquín Rodrigo

Posted by: Lindsay Conway

Celebrate Valentine's Day with the remarkable love story of composer Joaquin Rodrigo and his wife and collaborator, Victoria Kamhi de Rodrigo.