DRAM streaming audio database now available!

Of all the new additions to our collections that we added over the break, perhaps the most exciting is the Database of American Recorded Music (DRAM) streaming audio database.

The backbone of the 3,700 album collection is the output of legendary labels, New World Records and Composers Recordings, Inc, making it the single best streaming source for 20th century and contemporary American  classical music. It also incorporates twenty-eight other labels and collections as well, including Albany Records, the Dartmouth Archive of Jon Appleton’s works, and the Ben Hall Gospel Archive.

Though Naxos Music Library is a fantastic resource, finding contemporary composers and works is sometimes spotty. The DRAM database fills in the gaps with its incredible collection of rare and important recordings.

And if you haven’t yet, be sure to check out the full range of our streaming audio and video resources.

 

Composer Elliott Carter dies at age 103

Elliot Carter, recognized as one of the most distinguished American voices in classical music, died at the age of 103 in New York.  In a career that spanned over 75 years, Carter composed 158 works.

Carter was born in New York City on December 11, 1908, and was first encouraged to pursue a career in classical music by his friend and mentor Charles Ives.  Carter attended Harvard University where he studied under Walter Piston.  Carter then moved to Paris and began his compositional studies with Nadia Boulanger.

In his lifetime, Carter received two Pulitzer Prizes, as well as many other prestigious awards.  He was named the Commander of the “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” as well as the Commander of the Legion of Honor.

Here are a few scores and CD that we have of Elliot Carter’s music:

CD 3910 – Emblems

M25.C373 T95 2009 – Two Thoughts About The Piano: For Piano

M25.C373 N5 1995 – Night Fantasies: For Piano

M557.4 .C4 1993 – Brass Quintet (1974)

Einstein on the Beach Revival

There’s something extraordinary happening in Brooklyn this week. Its a revival. Of course, this is an artsy part of New York with a bit of a history of revivals. Yet, somehow these recreations of past works always seem significant. The work being revived is “Einstein on the Beach” by Phillip Glass and Robert Wilson and it is being revived by the Brooklyn Academy of Music which also likes to go by BAM. The performances are occurring all week, ending this Sunday. If you want to get some more information, this New York Times article sums it up pretty well. “Einstein” is a work that has gone through many failed revivals, and is not likely to live through many more. If you’re in the neighborhood, you should definitely take a look.

BAM

Einstein on the Beach Score: M1500 .G515 E5 2006

Einstein on the Beach Recording: CD 9615

Wagner’s Ring Cycle at the Met this week!

PBS is airing the Metropolitan Opera’s exciting production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle this week. If you aren’t familiar with this epic, Wagner’s Ring is just that – Epic.

Check out the link for more info here: PBS: Great Performances

The cycle is made of up four operas performed over four nights, adding up to 15 hours of total performance time. Performing, designing, directing and listening to a full production of the Ring is a massive feat for performers and audience-members alike!

The Met’s star-studded cast includes dramatic soprano Deborah Voigt as Brünhilde and tenor Jay Hunter Morris as Siegfried. James Levine and Fabio Luisi conduct.

The production will air on PBS tonight (Tuesday) – Friday, at 9pm.

Deborah Voigt and Jay Hunter Morris in Gotterdamerung

Looking for Some Chamber Music?

We can help. Recently, we put together a nifty listing of our Chamber Music holdings. That way you can browse our collection without leaving the comfort of your computer. First, follow this link to our page on the AU Library Subject Guides. From there mouse over the Chamber Music link.

From there, a drop-down menu will appear, presenting the lists we currently have up. Here is what one f those pages look like:

There you go! This is part of our Brass Chamber Music page. Shows you all the information you need to know.

Easy, right?

Keeping it Classy

Here is something to help you get through a rainy monday, courtesy of the Czech Philharmonic.

Enjoy,

Cheers,

Alex

So Many New Scores! And a CD!

CD

On a Sensual Note – Spare Change (CD 9449)

Scores

Fisher Tull – Eight Profiles : For solo Trumpet (M87 .T84 P7 1980)

Tschaikowsky – Variations on a Rococo Theme, Violincello and piano (M1017 .T33 op.33 2010)

G.F. Handel – Aria con Variazioni, transcribed for cornet and piano by R. Bernard Fitzgerald (M261 .H27 HWV430 2001)

Christopher Rouse – Rapture (M1045 R.857 R37 2011)

Kennan – Sonata for Trumpet and Piano (M261 .K45 S6 1997)

Janacek – Capriccio for piano and brass ensemble (M1010 .J3 C3 1990)

John Cage – Music for Piano #1 (M25 .C34 M8 no.1) Music for Piano #2 (M25 .C34 M8 no.2) Music for Piano #4-19 (M25 .C34 M8 no.4-19)

Richard Danielpour – The Enchanted Garden (Preludes, Book 2) for piano (M25 .D29 E52 2008)

Melodious Etudes for Trombone – Joannes Rochut, Volume 1 (MT465 .B6 1928 v.1) Volume 2  (MT 465 .B6 1928 v.2)

Chen Yi – Angel Island Passages ; For Children’s Choir and String Quartet (M1546.5 .C45 A55 2011)

Wolff – Schonen met Veters : For the Workshop (M762 .W64 S3 2011)

A History of the Trombone – David M. Guion (ML965 G83 2010)

Solos for the Trumpet Player – selected and edited by Walter Beeler (M260 .B5 S6 1963)

Alexander Goedicke – Concert Etude; For Bb Trumpet (Cornet) and Piano (M1031 .G43 op.49 1980)

Haydn – Trumpet Concerto in Eb Major (M1031 .H41 H.vII31 1991)

Guiseppe Concone -  Lyrical Studies for Trumpet (MT 445 .C665 L9 2007)

Robert Baksa – Twelve Shakespeare Songs ; for voice and guitar (M1624 .B357 S53 2010)

Andre Previn – Four Outings for Brass (M557.4 .P75 F7 1975)

Stravinsky – Tango for string quartet (M454 .S95 T2 2010)

Opera in the Outfield

It’s that time of year again…

That’s right OPERA in the OUTFIELD returns with Puccini’s incredible 2 1/2 hour opera, TOSCA.

This is how it works:

On Thursday, September 22nd at 7:30 PM the Washington National Opera‘s rendition of Tosca will air via Simulcast at the Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium. (This is a great alternative to  trekking down to the Kennedy Center to experience opera if you don’t want to take the time to gussy up or can’t afford the ticket price. )

And guess the best part….TICKETS TO OPERA IN THE OUTFIELD ARE FREE!!!! That’s right, completely free. And…with all that money you saved…you can buy baseball concessions! Yummy…what could be better? Watching opera while eating a peanuts and cracker-jacks….sounds pretty good to me.

New CDs for You to Listen to and New Scores for You to Play!

CDs

Legacy: Violin Music of African-American Composers – Includes works for violin by Johnson, Morrison, Baker, Cargile and Hughes (CD 9446)

Ursula Mamok – Volume 3 performed by Heinz Holliger and the Sonar Quartet (CD 9447)

Scores

Gernot Blume – Shinkansen for Trombone, Piano, and Percussion (M 385 .B62 S54 2008a)

Elliot Carter – Brass Quintet (M 557.4 .C4 1993)

Alvin Etler – Quintet for Brass Instruments (M 557.4 .E7 Q5 1993)

Karel Husa – Landscapes for Brass (M 557.4 .H93 L3 1984)

Leos Janacek – Concertino per Pianoforte, Due Violini, Viola, Clarinetto, Corno E Fagotto (M 722 .J33 C62 2006)

Violin Classics – for Violin and Piano, from Intermediate to Advanced levels, includes works by Brahms, Handel, Schubert, Vivaldi, Mendelssohn, Dvorak and many more!

Intermediate Level (M 217 .V552 2008)

Intermediate to Advanced (M 217 .V554 2008)

Advanced Level (M 217 .V55 2008)

New jazz club coming soon to D.C. PLUS this month’s Red Door Loft show

The Prince of Petworth blog has the scoop that 2917 Georgia Ave (the old Professional Pharmacy building) will be becoming a new jazz club called “Enterprise” at some point in the near future!

This is great news, especially coming on the heels of news of the imminent demise of Gold Leaf Studios, and with it the Red Door Loft, which has hosted some fantastic shows over the past year.

Speaking of which, this month’s performance at Red Door is coming up this Thursday the 8th at 8pm (shows start ON TIME, so be there early).

Performers will be the Matt Parker Trio of New York, and OOO+1, featuring Music Library alumnus, Luke Stewart.

The venue can be a little hard to find: the address is 443 I Street, NW in Mt. Vernon Square, but you need to enter through the alley, and look for the (duh) red door.