The NLS Music Section is proud to announce our newest additions to BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) for the month of October!
Be sure to check out the new talking books, featuring music lectures produced by the Library of Congress Music Division. These programs, led by Edmund Morris, David Plylar, Lewis Lockwood, and William Meredith, cover the music of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, and many others, in an engaging and informative format. In fact, December 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven, and many of these programs are part of the Beethoven Research Guide at the Library of Congress.
We have also added many new braille titles to BARD. Our latest additions include fabulous piano gems by Rachmaninov, Milhaud, and Greek composer Nikos Skalkottas. There are also vocal works by Bartók, Schubert, and Jenő von Takács (himself a protégé of Bartók), as well as instrumental pieces for clarinet, trumpet, and violin.
BARD is a wonderful resource that provides access to all of our digital holdings. If you are new to BARD, or if you need some assistance, you may wish to check this link: Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) and BARD Access. All of the materials listed below are also available via mail. To borrow hard copies of braille music or talking books on digital cartridge, please call us at 1-800-424-8567 (choose option 2), or e-mail us at [email protected]
Talking Books
The following are recordings of past programs of the Library of Congress Music Division:
Acquired Tastes: Recent Keyboard Manuscript Acquisitions in the Library of Congress. David Plylar spoke about recent keyboard manuscript acquisitions, including a Haydn Capriccio, Beethoven “Hammerklavier” sketches, a few “Songs without Words” by Mendelssohn, three works by Liszt (“Madrigal/Consolation no. 5,” a version of “Liebesträume, no. 2” and “Schlummerlied im Grabe/Elegie no. 1”) and an Intermezzo by Brahms (op. 119/2). (DBM04256)
Beethoven: The Universal Composer. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edmund Morris discussed his new book, “Beethoven: The Universal Composer.” The Library’s Music Division cosponsored the event with the Center for the Book. Morris, a classically trained pianist, has studied Beethoven and his music for 40 years. (DBM04257)
Conversations and Concert with Jazz Pianist Justin Kauflin. Justin Kauflin is a jazz pianist who lost his sight at the age of 11 due to a hereditary disorder. He spoke with Karen Keninger and John Hanson and answered a variety of questions from the audience about his experience and career before his concert performance in the Coolidge Auditorium. Karen Keninger is the director of the National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Print Disabled, and John Hanson is the former head of the NLS Music Section. (DBM04263)
“Diabellical” Plots in the Music of Beethoven, Haydn, and Brahms. David Plylar discusses “variations,” as featured in the works performed by pianist Paul Lewis in his performance at the Library of Congress. Works discussed include Haydn’s Sonata in E minor, H.XVI:34, Brahms’s Intermezzi, op. 117 and Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, op. 120. (DBM04255)
A Fiddler’s Tale. Pianist and art collector Annette Kaufman (1914-2016) discusses her husband Louis Kaufman (1905-1994) in advance of their book, “A Fiddler’s Tale: How Hollywood and Film Music Discovered Me.” Topics include Louis Kaufman’s childhood, how he got his start in film music, and professional relationships he had with composers and other artists. (DBM04264)
Fugal Lords: Subjectivity in Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. David Plylar discusses subjectivity in Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms in conjunction with a performance by pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard of works by the composers. (DBM04258)
Gentlemen Prefer the Taubenpost: Love and Longing in the Songs of Beethoven and Schubert. David Plylar lectures on love and longing in the songs of Beethoven and Schubert in conjunction with a recital by tenor Mark Padmore and pianist Andrew West. (DBM04259)
Lecture and Demonstration of Beethoven’s String Quartet in E-flat, op. 127. Musicologist Lewis Lockwood speaks about the Beethoven String Quartet in E-flat, op. 127 and Quartet in F minor, op. 95 in pre-concert lecture (May 1, 2003). (DBM4260)
Motive Cello: Motivations in the Cello sonatas of Beethoven, Brahms & Chopin. David Plylar speaks about some of the relationships between musical materials in three major sonatas for cello and piano — in essence, an introduction to motives and their motivations. Works addressed include Beethoven’s Sonata in C major, op. 102/1, Brahms’s Sonata in F major, op. 99 and Chopin’s Sonata in G minor, op. 65. (DBM04261)
What the Autograph Can Tell us: Beethoven’s Sonata in E Major. One of the treasures of the Library’s collection of composers’ autographs is the manuscript of Ludwig van Beethoven’s late E major piano sonata. William Meredith presents a fascinating event with a distinguished collaborator, Malcolm Bilson, as partner. The talk and performance focuses on elements of the creative process visible in Beethoven’s manuscript score, and some interesting details it can reveal about what Beethoven does not want the composer to do. (DBM04262)
Braille Music
Organ
Dubois, Théodore. Toccata no. 3 of Twelve Pieces for Organ. Bar over bar format. (BRM20901)
Piano Instruction
Norton, Christopher. Microjazz for Starters: Graded Piano Pieces and Exercises in Popular Styles. Bar over bar format. (BRM36912)
Slaughter, Henry. Henry Slaughter Gospel Piano Course, Book 3. Bar over bar format. (BRM29858)
Piano Scores
Bach, J.S. The Art of Fugue: Two Fugues for 2 pianos, no. 13. Bar by bar format. (BRM05551)
Brown, Lewis. The Cuckoo. Bar over bar format. (BRM00113)
Courtney, J. D. Noon-day Reveries. No. 3 of Five Pieces in bar over bar format. (BRM10877)
Durand, Auguste. Valse. Bar over bar format. (BRM36357)
Heywood, Eddie. Eddie Heywood Modern Piano Transcriptions, volume 1. “Charmaine”–“Diane”—“Don’t blame me” – “Goodnight sweetheart” in bar over bar format. (BRM08093)
MacDowell, Edward. New England Idyls, op. 62. Bar over bar format. (BRM00311)
__ Concert-étude, op. 36. Bar over bar format. (BRM00308)
Mendelssohn, Felix. Six Pieces for Children, op. 72. Bar over bar format. (BRM07677)
__ Rondo Capriccioso: op. 14. Bar over bar format. (BRM00324)
Milhaud, Darius. Quatre Romances sans Paroles. Section by section format. (BRM36913)
__ Touches Blanches from Pieces, op. 122. Bar over bar format. (BRM22961)
Mozart, W. A. Sonata in F, K. 497: no. 3 of Original Piano Duets. For piano (four hands) in bar over bar format. (BRM05111)
Rachmaninoff, Sergei. Barcarolle, op. 10, no. 3. Bar over bar format. (BRM00375)
__ Prélude, op. 3, no. 2. Bar over bar format. (BRM00378)
__ Polichinelle, op. 3, no. 4. Edited and fingered by Louis Oesterle in bar by bar format. (BRM00377)
Scarlatti, Domenico. Pastorale. Arranged and transposed into E minor for concert use by Carl Tausig. Bar over bar format. (BRM15577)
Skalkottas, Nikos. Suite for piano, no. 3. I. Minuetto II. Thema con variazioni III. Marcia funebra IV. Finale in bar over bar format. (BRM22935)
__ 32 Piano Pieces : no. 6 Reverie in the Old Style. From 32 Pieces for piano in bar over bar format. (BRM22934)
Villa-Lobos, Heitor. Ciclo Brasileiro. A suite for piano, by Heitor Villa-Lobos. Bar over bar format. (BRM36910)
Withrow, Miriam Fox. Music for the Pianist: Arranged for the More Mature Beginner. Excerpts and arrangements of pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Carey, Foster, Gardiner, Grieg, Gurlitt, Handel, Haydn, Hill, Mozart, Paganini, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Türk, and Withrow for piano in bar over bar format. (BRM36921)
Strings
Korngold, Erich Wolfgang. Concerto in D major, op. 35. Violin solo part for Erich Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 35. Single line format. (BRM36909)
Vocal
Bartók, Béla. Loafer. For S.S.A. chorus in line by line format. The piano part, intended for rehearsal purposes only, is in bar over bar format. (BRM22959)
Schubert, Franz. Praise of Tears, op. 13. For high voice in D with piano in line by line and bar over bar formats. (BRM00630)
__ Serenade (or “Ständchen”), D. 920. English and German texts. For high voice in D and piano in line by line and bar over bar formats. (BRM00631)
__ To be Sung on the Water, op. 72. English and German texts. For high voice in A-flat and piano in line by line and bar over bar formats. (BRM00632)
__ The Trout (or “Die Forelle”). For high voice in D flat with piano accompaniment. Text in English and German. Line by line and bar over bar formats. (BRM00633)
Takács, Jenő von. Five Fragments of Jade. For women’s chorus (S.S.A.A.) in line by line format. (BRM22922).
Winds
Gordon, Claude. Systematic Approach to Daily Practice for Trumpet. A fifty-two week trumpet course designed to develop a register from the second C below low C to C above high C, along with the power, endurance, sound and control necessary to meet the demands required of the professional trumpet player. Single line format. (BRM36911)
Voxman, Himie. Selected Duets for Clarinet: Volume II (Advanced). Compiled and edited by Himie Voxman in line by line format. The published version of volume 2 is transcribed into 3 volumes of music braille. (BRM22925)
Weber, Carl Maria von. Second Concerto in E-flat major, op. 74 for clarinet. Clarinet part only in line by line format. (BRM23131)