“Are You Blue 2?”

Need something to do Friday night????

Jerzy Sapieyevski, pianist, composer and professor will preform his second concert entitled “Are You Blue?” Friday night in the Abramson Family Recital Hall at 8 pm. A concert for solo piano, works by Professor Sapieyevski and composer/pianist Professor Marc Medwin will be preformed.

The performance aims to unite jazz and classical styles into multi-layered “sound sculptures.” It’s a one concert fits all, and will certainly provide for a great musical way to spend Friday night!

Sweet New Stuff 10/26 – round 1

CDs

Musical Theater

Clear Blue Tuesday – Soundtrack for the original musical movie (CD 5302)

Ordinary Days -Original Cast Recording - Adam Gwon (CD 5303)

La Cage – New Broadway Cast Recording (CD 5304)

Enter Laughing -The York Theatre (CD 5306)

Baroque

Jean-Baptiste LULLY – The Tragedy of Armide -Opera Lafayette conducted by Ryan Brown (CD 5031)

Romantic

Gluck – Orphée et Euridice -Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus conduceted by Ryan Brown (CD 5301)

20th Century

The Singing Rooms – Alexander Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy/Alvin Singleton’s PraiseMaker/Jennifer Higdon’s The Singing Rooms – Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Robert Spano, Jennifer Koh violin (CD 5305)

Music of Edward Joseph Collins – Daughter of the South (CD 5307)

Musical Scores

Operas

Rossini – Il Turco in Italia (The Turk in Italy) (M1503 .R835 T82 2000)

Mechem – Tartuffe – (M1503 .M497 T34 2000)

Bolcom - A Wedding - (M1503 . B692 W43 2010)

Musical

Brel - Jacques Brel is alive & well & living in Paris (M1508 .J3 B7 1968)

Webber - Jesus Christ Superstar (M1508 .L55 J41 1973)

Piano

Plaidy - Technical Studies For the Piano (MT225 .P69 T2 1903)

Beethoven - Sonatas for Piano Vol. 1 (M23 . B414 K24 v.1)

Physics of Music on the Mall

In case you missed the announcement in Today@AU, the Physics and Audio Tech departments will be presenting an exhibit on the physics of music at the USA Science and Engineering Festival Expo this weekend, October 23-24, 10am -5:30pm on the National Mall.

From the announcement:

Harshman’s arranged three tables exploring everything from acoustic instruments, such as the autoharp, Chinese singing bowls, Chladni plates, and Helmholtz resonators, to electronics demonstrations of a microphone and a theramin. This musical instrument detects the position of the players’ hands with an antenna so that it can be played without being touched. Another table demonstrates auto tuning, a voice Fourier analyzer, and a Wii created by audio technology Assistant Professor William Brent that has been programmed to sing by adjusting the tone, volume, and vowel with the remote’s motion.

Harshman hopes the exhibit will give young adults a better understanding of the physics behind music, and help them distinguish between analog electronic and digital electronic instruments. “People don’t often realize there’s a difference between the two, but there is,” he says. But more importantly, he just wants kids to have fun.

 

“Nine” Opens Tonight!

Nine opens tonight at the Greenberg Theater. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, they are still available from the box office at Katzen and Greenberg, or by calling 202-885-ARTS (2787).

8pm shows Oct. 21-23 and 29-30, 2pm matinees Oct. 23 and 30.

Films on Demand: Music

the AU Library has a new database! (Well it’s not SO new anymore…but)

Films on Demand is a database with about 6,500 live streaming videos available to the AU community. Browsing through them I found some really interesting videos on music:

Music of the Brain explores human connection with music. The video seeks to understand music’s connection to human relationships, language, culture, and emotions.

 

Fascinated by music? Fascinated by cultures? This film may be of interest to you then! Music Moves the World travels the world – Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe – from the industrial world to the developing world – to observe music and its relationship to different cultures.

———————————- AU boasts that it is one of the country’s most “politically active” college campuses. Well then, these videos are the music videos for AU!

Rebel Music: Americas looks at how musicians and music shaped the political movements in South America.

 

The Rock Star and the Mullahs examines music and the political tension in Pakistan.

Fine Rain looks at the relationship between Chinese folk songs and politics.

 

HAPPY ALASKA DAY!!!

As one of the few students from Alaska here at American University, I feel a strong responsibility to educate my peers about the history and culture of my state. Lesson number 1: October 18th is Alaska Day – yes it is a legal holiday that state employees get paid leave for.

On this day in 1867 the transfer from Russian to American ownership took place. This official ceremony was actually held in the town I come from, Sitka, which at the time was the capital of Russia-javascript:;American. Right now in my little fishing village schools are letting out early for a big parade and reenactment of the transfer. Yes, it’s a bigger deal than the fourth of July.

If you want to hear some Alaskan-inspired music check out these CDs:

CD 106: Earth and the Great Weather, A Sonic Geography of the Artic

This compilation of pieces by John Luther Adams is described as a “convergence of sound and poetry.” Inspired by the Artic landscape and the languages of Natives there Adams uses natural sounds, drum rhythms and spoken text to recreate a picture of the Artic through music.

CD 3039: In the White Silence

This composition, again by John Luther Adams, is an example of his concept of “sonic geography,” a concept he uses to try to understand “music as place and place as music.”  Written for celesta, harp, orchestra bells, 2 vibraphones and strings “In the White Silence” musically depicts the “treeless, windswept expanses of the Artic.”

Video of Little Big Band Performance

If you couldn’t make it to the AU Little Big Band performance last weekend, video of the entire concert is up on our Facebook page.

Here’s a sample:

Good Stuff with the AU Little Big Band

The AU Little Big Band is at it again! For the second year in a row the band has a freshly picked selection of arrangements and songs by AU students and professors for your pleasure. Arrangements include:

“What are You Doing with the Rest of your Life” arr. by AJ Welch featuring vocalist Elizabeth Zito

a very hip rendition of  “Caravan” arr. by Professor Noah Getz

arrangements of Duke Ellington and other jazz standards.

A new, original chart, “Heliotrope,” written by senior Emily Warden will also be premiered.

Come out for some good stuff Friday and Saturday night at 8 pm in the Abramson Family Recital Hall in Katzen Art Center.

New CDs 10/6

New CDs have come to the music library!!! Check them out on our display case:

Playing the edge: music for violin and percussion (CD 5297)

Recorded Music of the African Diaspora (CD 5298)

And we have 2 new MUSICAL THEATER CDs:

Good Ol’ Girls: A Musical (CD 5299)

Sondheim on Sondheim (CD 5300)

Cene’s Naxos Jazz Picks

In this post, I highlight five great recordings on Naxos Jazz. All links should work seamlessly for users on-campus. If you’re off campus, you’ll have to log in to Aladin before being allowed access. Remember to click ‘Log-Out‘ when you’re done listening.

Sarah Vaughan – Copacabana: Exclusivamente Brasil

This is the second of Vaughan’s three albums of Brazilian music (along with I Love Brazil and Brazilian Romance). It was recorded in Rio with a Brazilian chorus and a great band featuring the great Brazilian guitarist, Hélio Delmiro. “The Smiling Hour” and “Double Rainbow” are warm and cheerful – perfect for these final warm days.

Stephane Grappelli / Stuff Smith – Violins No End

Two of the great jazz violin players of all time with a crack band featuring Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), and Jo Jones (drums). They take a swinging, continental approach to some great standards, such as “Moonlight in Vermont” and “the Lady is a Tramp.”

McCoy Tyner – Sahara

Almost universally regarded as one of Tyner‘s finest albums as a leader, Sahara is adventurous without being inaccessible. The quartet on this recording is Sonny Fortune (saxes, flute), Calvin Hill (bass), and Alphonse Mouzon (drums, percussion). Check out the title track and “Ebony Queen.”

Shirley Scott & Stanley Turrentine – Blue Flames

Organist Scott and tenor player Turrentine (a married couple at the time) recorded some of the best soul jazz records of the ’60s, but even among those this one stands out. The tunes and players (Bob Cranshaw on bass and Otis “Candy” Finch on drums round out the quartet) are soulful, with an easy-grooving feel throughout. Listen to the Scott original, “The Funky Fox” and Benny Golson’s “Five Spot After Dark.”

Attila Zoller – Common Cause

Hungarian-born guitarist Zoller brings his Gypsy-tinged playing to a quiet trio setting with Ron Carter (bass) and Joe Chambers (drums), which really allows him to stand out. Try the title track and “Conjunction.”