Carley’s Staff Picks!

In recent months I have been fueled by Beethoven. Piano sonatas, string quartets, symphonies, concertos, everything. So, my first staff pick is the excellent documentary In Search of Beethoven. There are too many prominent ensembles, conductors and pianists featured in the film to count. The documentary truly takes the viewer on a journey. It catalogs his works and gives us some insight into Beethoven’s remarkable personality and his empathy for humanity.

In Search of Beethoven: A film by Phil Grabsky  ~  DVD 202

Chamber music. There’s so much of it! I think Mendelssohn is a good place to start. His piano trios are remarkable (the man DID write “Songs without Words”).

Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in D minor was written in 1839, the year before Schumann experienced his most prolific year of songwriting. I love that Schumann viewed Mendelssohn as the Mozart of the 19th century, saying that he was the “most of illuminating of musicians”. High praise.

The Piano Trios of Felix Mendelssohn  ~  CD 9069

2013 is the bicentennial of Verdi and Wagner! Orchestras and Opera companies all over the world are celebrating with seasons dedicated to performing great works, from the most famous to the lesser-known. The AUSO began the celebration in March with the overture from  Die Meistersinger von Nurmberg and they will be joined by the AU Chorus in a couple of weeks to keep the party going with Verdi’s Four Sacre Pezzi.

Simon Boccanegra  ~  CD 8802

Birgit Nilsson Sings Wagner Arias with Hans Hotter and Leopold Ludwig  ~  CD 8173

This one’s for Robert:

Meredith Monk: Turtle Dreams  ~  CD 9697

More New Stuff!

These scores have just arrived from the bindery!

Brahms  -  Quintet and Quartets for Piano and Strings  -  M178.B73 G35 1985

Schubert  -  Lieder, Volume II for High Voice  -  M1620.S38 L54 1974 v.2

Tchaikovsky  -  Eugene Onegin (full score)  -  M1500.T34 E94 1997

Also, some new CDs and a DVD for your use:

Ruckblick Moderne: 20th Century Orchestral Music  -  CD10064

Michael Daugherty/Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: Route 66, Ghost Ranch, Sunset Strip, Time Machine  -  CD 10065

Mahler: Autopsy of a Genius  -  DVD 352

A Mixed Bag of New Scores!

~~~~~Something for everyone! ~~~~~

Martin Bresnick  -  Going Home (Vysoke, My Jerusalem) for Oboe, Violin, Viola and Violoncello  -  M462.B74 G65 2012

Martin Bresnick  -  Prayers Remain Forever for cello and piano  -  M233.B74 P73 2012

The Spirituals of Harry T. Burleigh for high voice  -  M1670.B87 S65 2000

Michael Daugherty  -  Deus ex Machina for piano and orchestra (2007)  -  M1010.D38 D48 2012

Michael Daugherty  -  I Loved Lucy (Yo Amaba Lucy) for flute and classical guitar  -  M297.D38 Y6 2012

Michael Daugherty  -  Route 66 for orchestra (1999)  -  M1045.D38 R68 2011

Philip Glass  -  Sonata for Violin and Piano in 3 Movements  -  M219.G53 S66 2008

Osvaldo Golijov  -  How Slow the Wind for Soprano and String Quartet  -  M1613.3 .G65 H69 2011

Jake Heggie  -  Orcas Island Ferry: Suite for Violin/Viola and Piano  -  M220.H44 O73 2012

Jacques Hetu  -  Quatuor A Cordes (String Quartet) no. 1, opus 19  -  M452.H58 op. 19 2012

Katherine Hoove  -  Ayres based on songs by John Dowland for soprano saxophone and piano  -  M269.H66 A97 2011

James MacMillan  -  Sun-Dogs for mixed choir a cappella  -  M1582.M33 S86 2011

Telemann  -  Sonata in F Major for flute and piano  -  M242.T44 S66 1974

Telemann/Wummer  -  Suite in A Minor transcribed for flute and piano  -  M244.T45 O94 1979

Wowza – New CDs!

The East meets the West in our newest batch of CDs. And who knew that the clarinet would be the binding force?

Come check ‘em out.

Rainbow: Music of Central Asia vol. 8/Kronos Quartet with Alim & Fargana Qasimov and Homayun Sakhi * CD 10058

This wonderful collaboration is part of a ten part series produced by Smithsonian Folkways Records titled “Music of Central Asia”. The Grammy-nominated series is another in a long line of remarkable projects from Folkways. Come check it out and then go online and download the free program notes!

East Meets West: Clarinet Music by Chinese Composers * CD 10059

Surrealistic Soundscapes/Man Ching and Donald Yu * CD 10062

Revelry/Lowell Liebermann * CD 10061

A Musical Celebration: New Works for Clarinet Viola and Piano * CD 10060

Cold Fact/Sixto Rodriguez * CD 9974

Coming from Realitiy/Sixto Rodriguez * CD 9971

MORE New Arrivals!

The Opera America Song-Book  ~  M1507.O64 2012

The G. Schirmer Piano Collection: 33 Works by 25 Composers from 20th and 21st Centuries  ~  M21.G25 2012

Michael Daugherty  ~  Trail of Tears for flute and chamber orchestra (2010)  ~  M1020.D38 T73 2012

Gyorgy Ligeti  ~  Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1985-88)  ~  M1010.L54 C66 2005

Gyorgy Ligeti  ~  Concerto for Violin and Orchestra  ~  M1013.L54 C66 2002

Franz Liszt  ~  Etudes D’Execution Transcendante  ~  M25.L25 E88 2004

Matthias Pintscher  ~  Funf Orchesterstucke (1997)  ~  M1045.P56 S78 1997

Matthais Pintscher  ~  tenebrae for viola, small ensemble and live electronics  ~  M1014.P56 T46 2001

Matthias Pintscher  ~  Thomas Chatterton, opera (1994-8)  ~  M1500.P56 T56 1998

Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians  ~  M1528.R45 M87 2000

Heitor Villa-Lobos  ~  Douze Etudes pour guitare seule  ~  M127.V55 E88 2011

Paul Chihara: Viola Concerto and Music for Viola, Vol. 2  ~  CD 10054

Advent at Ephesus: Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles ~  CD 10050

Kurtag 80, conducted by Zoltan Kocsis  ~  CD 10052

Gabrieli: Sacred Symphonies  ~  CD 10049

Starfucker  ~  CD 10055

True Blugrass Banjo  ~  CD 10051

Austin Peralta: Endless Planets  ~  CD 10056

The Complete Atomic Basie  ~  CD 10057

We just got Eighth Blackbird’s GRAMMY NOMINATED “Meanwhile” (and other scores, CDs, DVD)

Get excited about our newest acquisition, Eighth Blackbird’s recent release “Meanwhile”: CD 10048.

“Is there an ensemble anywhere that conveys the sheer exuberance and joy of contemporary music like Eighth Blackbird? To listen to this brilliant young American sextet is to be constantly reminded of just how exciting, funny and ingratiating new work can be – especially when it’s delivered with these players’ characteristic blend of breakneck virtuosity and charm.”

- Joshua Kosman for the San Fransisco Chronicle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Kashmere Stage Band: Texas Thunder Soul, 1968-1974 - CD 10047

Paul Winter Sextet: Jazz Meets the Bossa Nova/Folk Song – CD 10046

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DVD

Chops – Music Library DVD 55

Follows a group of high school students from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, a public school in Jacksonville, FL, as they try to win a competition where the prize is being able to play at the prestigious Essentially Ellington Festival at New York’s Lincoln Center and an opportunity to work with famed jazz musician Wynton Marsalis.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JOHN CAGE

Bird Cage  -  M1473.C34.B57 1972

Chess Pieces for Piano  -  M25.C34 C54 2005

 Nocturne for Violin and Piano  -  M221.C34 N63 1972

Radio Music  -  M1473.C34 R33 1961

Sonata for Clarinet  -  M72.C34 S66 1963

Sonata for Two Voices  -  M298.5.C34 S66 1979

String Quartet in four parts  -  M452.C32 S77 1960

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE NEW SCORES!

David Amram  -  Cancion de Verano: A Piano Quartet for Young Musicians  -  M412 A47.C36 2012

J.S. Bach  -  Sechs Partiten for Klavier, 1-3  -  M24.B115 S8 1958 v. 1

Ludwig van Beethoven  -  Three Equali for four Trombones WoO 30  – M457.4.B44 D74 2012

Luigi Carvelli  -  Serenata Napolitana for Violoncello and Piano  -  M233.C37 S47 2012

Richard Danielpour  -  Spirits in the Well for Soprano and Piano  -  M1621.4.D36 S65 2012

Michael Daugherty  -  Elvis Everywhere for String Quartet and Tape  -  M585.D38 E48 2010

Jacob Druckman  -  Dance with Shadows for Brass Quintet  – M557.4.D78 D36 2012

Beat Furrer (yes that is a name)  -  Phasma for Piano  -  M25.F87 P53 2005

David Friedman  -  Mirror from Another: A collection of solo pieces for vibraphone  -  M175.X6 F75 1987

Osvaldo Golijob  -  Tenebrae (Version III) for String Quartet  -  M454.G65 T46 2011

Aram Khachaturian  -  Double Fugue for string quartet  -  M452.K53 D68 2011

Lowell Lieberman  -  Six Songs on Poems of Nelly Sachs, Op. 14 for Soprano and Piano  -  M1621.L54 op.14 2012

Steve Mackey  -  Fusion Tone for Electric Guitar and Violoncello  -  M295.M33 F87 2012

Steve Reich  -  Know what is above you for Three Soprano Singers, One Alto Singer, and 2 Small Tuned Drums – M2019.5.R45 K66 2012

Igor Stravinsky  -  Circus Polka composed for a Young Elephant, for saxophone quartet  -  M459.S77 C57 2011

Final Perk Presto is TONIGHT from 7-8:30, Mud Box

This is it, folks. We’ve pulled all-nighters, turned in that dang paper that has been weighing on us for months, or practiced our tushes off in an effort to pull of a great performance in our juries. Some of you are done and to you I say, go home! Some of you are in the thick of things and some can see the light at the end of the tunnel but it seems just out of reach (that one’s me).

The Final Perk, deemed “Presto” this year, is an annual event for all students to RELAX in the midst of the exam period. It will take place in the Mud Box cafe from 7-8:30pm TONIGHT (Wednesday, December 12).

This year’s Final Perk will feature wizard-themed trivia A.K.A. a rare opportunity to show off your extensive knowledge on all things Potter. Keeping with the wizard-theme, there will be a photo-booth and costumes to boot. If you’re feeling especially creative feel free to dress up as your favorite wizard, witch, Housemaster, ghost, goblin, wand-maker or whomever else: this event features a costume contest and the rewards could be bountiful.

The Final Perk is most known for its desserts which, I daresay, are among the most delicious I’ve had at AU. Tonight’s event will feature FREE gluten-free and vegan dessert options as well as other FREE tasty favorites. Complimentary coffee, tea and other drinks will be served as well.

This is the eighth year that the library has presented the Final Perk and they are joined in sponsorship by the Mud Box cafe, Friends of AU Library, Student Government, Graduate Leadership Council, Student Activities, the Resident Hall Association and the AU Alumni Association.

Oh, and there’s a chance that Dumblesheep will make a casual appearance…

Upcoming Live Performance Events!

As we dive deeper into the Holiday season live music events continue to ramp up throughout the city. Here are some awesome events in the coming days (free & very cheap) that you shouldn’t miss!

American University Chorus: Sing a New Song

with Laura M. Petravage, conductor

Dana Scott, piano

Friday November 30th and Saturday December, 8 pm

Abramson Family Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center, American University

$10 for AU Community, seniors; $15 general admission

The AU Chorus will give you a guided tour of American choral literature with their eclectic and nostalgic Fall program. It includes arrangements of folk-favorites “Bile them cabbage down” and “Cindy”, spirituals, classic Copland settings and more.

The highlight of the program is Samuel Barber’s Reincarnations for a capella chorus.The Reincarnations are rarely performed in their entirety as they are both complex and demanding. In their rendition the AU Chorus proves their remarkable musicianship and attention to detail under Laura Petravage’s brave leadership. Their enthusiasm is a rare treat and this weekend’s performances will not disappoint!

Jake Shimabukoro, ukulele virtuoso

Screening of “Life on Four Strings” and personal appearance by Mr. Shimabukoro

Monday December 3, 6:30 – 8:30 pm * FREE

Rasmuson Theater, National Museum of the American Indian

4th Street and Independence Ave SW, Washington DC 20024

This FREE event is presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and promises to be a great time. “Life on four strings” is a documentary about Jake Shimabukoro, a ukulele-virtuoso who was recently declared a musical “hero” by Rolling Stone. Shimabukoro is truly an amazing musician.

Check out his website and watch his YouTube videos for more info!

Boring but Important!: Learn the ins and outs of fair use

Knowing how to correctly determine fair use of copyrighted material is a must for college students in general, and especially students of the arts. The next Digital Futures Forum tackles this topic with a variety of experts.

When can you use copyrighted materials without permission? How has fair use shifted recently? Join Patricia Aufderheide and Peter Jaszi for an interactive exploration and in-depth discussion of fair use in a multi-media context. Their presentation will be followed by a discussion of what’s next in fair use, led by Brandon Butler.

Keynote presenters:

Patricia Aufderheide is University Professor in the School of Communication at American University in Washington, D.C., and founder and co-director of the Center for Social Media there. She is the co-author with Peter Jaszi of Reclaiming Fair Use: How to Put Balance Back in Copyright (University of Chicago Press, July 2011), and of Communications Policy in the Public Interest (Guilford Press, 1999). She heads the Fair Use and Free Speech research project at the Center, in conjunction with Prof. Peter Jaszi in American University’s Washington College of Law. She received her Ph.D. in history from the University of Minnesota.

Peter Jaszi is a professor of law at the American University Washington College of Law, teaching domestic and international copyright and supervising students in the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Clinic. Jaszi is a Trustee of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., and a member of the editorial board of its journal. Since 2005, Jaszi has been working with Patricia Aufderheide of the American University’s Center for Social Media on projects designed to promote the understanding of fair use by documentary filmmaker and other use communities, including research libraries. Their book, Reclaiming Fair Use (Chicago), was published this year. Professor Jaszi received his A.B. from Harvard University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Discussant:

Brandon Butler is the director of public policy initiatives at the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), a group of 126 major academic and research libraries in North America. His responsibilities there include analysis and advocacy regarding copyright, privacy and surveillance, free expression, and telecommunications. He also writes the ARL Policy Notes blog and the @ARLpolicy twitter account. Before working at ARL, he was an Associate in the Media and Information Technologies practice at the law firm Dow Lohnes PLLC in Washington, D.C.

For more information and to RSVP, contact 202-885-3847 or LibEvents@american.edu

New Stuff

New CDs

Narong Prangcharoen – (CD 9721)

Dialogue en Francais - French Masterpieces for Horn & Piano – Bernhard Scully, French Horn and Joanne Minnetti, Piano (CD 9722)

Song of the Black Swan – Works Inspired by Nature – Aletheia Duo: Jonathan Keeble, Flute & Ann Yeung, Harp (CD 9723)

Jesus Christ Superstar – staring Paul Nicholas with the 20th Anniversary London Cast recording (CD 9720)

New Scores

Beethoven - Sextet in Eb major, Opus 71 - for 2 Clarinets, 2 Horns and 2 Bassoons (M657 .B43 op.71 1950)

Holmstrand – Percussion Instrumentation Guide for Symphony Orchestras (Ref. ML128 .P23 H75 2004)

The 16-Bar Theatre Audition – 100 Songs Excerpted for Successful Auditions - TENOR (M1507 .S67 2003)

The 16-Bar Theatre Audition – 100 Songs Excerpted for Successful Auditions - BARITONE/BASS (M1507 .S68 2003)