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Category: Piano Music

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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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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."

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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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Hidden Gems of the NLS Collection: Francis “Frank” Johnson

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, we look at the incredible life of Francis "Frank" Johnson (1792-1844). Celebrate Black History Month with us as we pay tribute to an African American composer, band leader, and pioneer.

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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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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.