Robert’s Stäff Picks!!!

Don’t forget, the Music Library is having an LP Bag Sale this Friday, April 26 from 10AM-2PM in front of Bender Library!!!

This set of Staff Picks is dedicated to currently performing string quartets and new music ensembles/composers.

CD 5290 — Six Quartets, Op. 20 — Haydn

The quartets are pretty standard Haydn works but the cool part about this CD is that this recording is played by the Daedalus Quartet.  The Daedalus Quartet is considered a leader among the newest generation of string ensembles.  The members of this string quartet hold degrees from the Julliard School, Curtis Institute, Cleveland Institute, and Harvard University.  Min-Young Kim and Matilda Kaul play violin, Jessica Thompson plays the viola, and Thomas Kraines plays the ‘cello.  This CD was released in 2009.

CD 10048 — Meanwhile — eighth blackbird

eighth blackbird “combines the finesse of a string quartet, the energy of a rock band and the audacity of a storefront theater company.” The members of the ensemble  “hail from America’s Great Lakes, Keystone, Golden and Bay States, and Australia’s Sunshine State.  There are four foodies, three beer snobs and one exercise junkie.”  It seems like it would be fun to hang with these folks. Tim Munro plays the flutes, Michael J. Maccaferri the clarinets, Yvonne Lam the violin & viola, Nicholas Photinos the ‘cello, Matthew Dunvall percussion, and Lisa Kaplan the piano.  This CD was released in 2012.

John Adams

I often reference works by John Adams in my Staff Picks, and I honestly don’t think I could ever forget to mention him.  Adams is a North American based new music composer.  Once again, the symphonic version of my favorite opera, CD 9695 — Doctor Atomic / Guide to Strange Places.  This CD was released in 2009.

CD 10053 - Adam’s Lament — Arvo Pärt

Do you like Arvo Pärt as much as Ethan Hicks? I doubt it, but you should still take a listen to this fantastic Pärt CD that explores many of his works including, but not limited to: Adam’s Lament, Beaatus Petronius, Salve Regina, and Estonian lullaby.  This CD was released in 2012.

 

Staff Picks:

It’s been over a year since we started writing up staff picks and with over a hundred CDs have been recommended. Therefore, one might think that we would be running out of recommendations.

Not so!

For my sixth staff picks post, I have a nice collection of awesome CDs including one of my favorite recordings

of…

all…

time…

Let’s get started then!

Arvo Pärt: Tabula Rasa

CD 5948

I first took out this CD two years ago on a whim. The name was really cool, and I had heard good things about this “Arvo Pärt” person. I then promptly forgot about it. A week later I drove up to Massachusetts overnight (to avoid the traffic from a few major cities) and discovered it on the seat next to me. It was something about the desolation of Interstate 84 in Connecticut at 4 a.m. mixed with the distant lamentations of the CD that stays with me to this day.  I can’t really describe it any other way, this is one of my favorite recordings.

Arvo Pärt: Te Deum

CD 5901

There is not much I can say about this CD other than that it is worth listening to.

Seriously…

Do it…

Kronos Quartet: Uniko

CD 5887

I don’t think there is ground left to tread that the Kronos Quartet has not already stomped all over. Anyway, get ready for this; Kronos Quartet collaborates with Finnish composers Samuli Kosminen and Kimmo Pohjonen to create a studio album that blends a string quartet with electronics and accordion. Yeah, I thought so too…

Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass

CD 6835

Now who doesnt love some arpeggiated triads?

Copland Conducts Copland

CD 3412

This CD is worth picking up for Lincoln Portrait alone. It’s perhaps one of the most famous recordings of the work and features Henry Fonda as the narrator. However, you also throw in Billy the Kid and the original Appalachian Spring ballet edition…

and Copland conducting????

Yes.

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

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

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

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

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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

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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

Carley’s Staff Picks!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Now that you’ve sworn off of turkey and pie (Ha!) and you’re realizing just how much work you have to do in the last few weeks of the semester (a lot), take some much-needed “me-time” and kick back with some staff picks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Samuel Barber loves singers. I would argue that he is the most influential American art-song composer.

For Singers

Collected Songs for High Voice – M1620.B3 S33

65 Songs (For Medium/Low Voice) – M1620.B27 S59 2010

For Listening

The Songs. – Cheryl Studer, soprano; Thomas Hampson, baritone; John Browning, piano; Emerson String Quartet – CD 1325/6353

Ligeti is just really cool. I don’t think this would be good study-music during the Finals period…it could be more like a soundtrack to your feelings?

Gyorgy Ligeti: A Capella Choral Works – London Sinfonetta Voices; Terry Edwards, Conductor – CD 9541

‘Tis the season! Oh, and Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto is outstanding….Martha Argerich is okay, I guess (kidding, she’s magnificent).

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 1 Op. 23/The Nutcracker: Suite, Op. 71a - Martha Argerich, piano; Berliner Philharmoniker; Claudio Abbado, conductor; Nicholas Economou, piano (2nd work) – CD 7653

Carley’s Staff Picks!

The theme for my staff picks? Music that sings.

 

Folksongs: Dvořák, Grainger, Larsson, Hahn, Kodály, Britten / Anne Sofie von Otter, Bengt Forsberg. CD7893

I have been surrounded by folk-songs lately as the AU Chorus and Chamber Singers are preparing two very nostalgic programs for the fall concert series’ featuring folk music arrangements from all over the place .

 

Beethoven: String Quartet in Bb Major, Op. 130
This is my favorite of Beethoven’s late string quartets. The contrasts, the Cavatina, the Grosse Fugue, what’s not to love?

 

 

 

 

 

Lully: The Tragedy of Armide   CD5031

I was so excited to find  Armide performed by Opera Lafayette with our very own Nancy Snider! If you don’t know about Opera Lafayette, a D.C.-based period instrument ensemble focused on French baroque opera, be sure check out their website & current season!

The King’s Singers: Chanson D’amour  CD 868

These are just fun! Gotta love the great sound and smart arrangements that the King’s Singers present.

Gorecki: Symphonie no. 3, Op. 36 “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs”  CD 6037

In my opinion this is one of the most astonishing and beautiful works of our time. Written in 1976, the “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” is a wonderful listen, especially in this recording with Dawn Upshaw wailing away.

New Stuff

New Scores to the Music Library:

First 2 very LARGE and very EXCITING scores:

Vox Balaenae For Three Masked Players  by George Crumb for electric flute, electric cello, electric piano (M 322 .C88 V6 1972)

Symphony No. 4 by Charles Ives – score and CD (M 3 .I94 S94 2011)

Others scores

Trio in G Major – for 2 flutes and basso continue - J.C. Bach (M317 .B33 T7 G major 2009)

Quintet Op. 43 – for flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn & bassoon – Carl Nielsen (M557 .N54 op. 43 2004)

Woodwind Quintet - for bassoon, oboe, horn in f, flute and clarinet in a – Gunther Schuller (M557 . S468 Q59 1968)

Concerto in C minor – for oboe, violin, strings & basso continuo – Bach (M1141 .B33 BWV 1060 2009)

Contrasts – for violin, clarinet & piano - Béla Bartók (M 322 .B3 C6 2002)

Werke fur Klavier zu vier Handen - Beethoven – Henle edition (M3 .B44 v.VII/1 Suppl.)

Kadenzen zu Klavierkonzerten – Beethoven – Henle edition (M3 .B44 v.VII/7 Suppl.)

Concerto - arranged for oboe and piano – by Cimaros, arranged by Arthur Benjamin (M 1123 .C563 C6 1995)

Trio in Eb Major, Op. 38 - for clarinet, cello & piano – Beethoven (M 322 .B4 op.38 1988)

Trio C major Op. 87 - for 2 oboes & english horn -Beethoven (M357.2 .B4 op.87 2009)

Trio in a minor, Op. 114 - for piano, clarinet, violincello – Brahms (M322 .B8 op.114 1979)

Serenade op. 25 - for flute, violin & viola – Beethoven (M362 .B4 op.25 2008)

Die kleine Kammermusik - Six Partitas for Violin & Basso Continuo – Telemann (M220 .T45 K6 2006)

Phantasy op. 2 - for oboe, violin, viola & cello - Benjamin Britten (M462 .B75 P43 1935)

Quintet - for clarinet, 2 violas and 2 cellos – David Diamond (M562 .D536 Q5 1957)

Quintette no. 1 - for flute, oboe, clarinet, basson & horn – Jean Francaix (M557 .F73 no. 1 1990)

Quintet, Op. 39 - for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola & double bass – Serge Prokofieff (M562 .P85 op.39 1990)

Trio K. 498 - for piano, clarinet, viola – Mozart (M322 .M69 K.498 2008)

New CDs & HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I know most people are already gone for Thanksgiving break…so all ya’ll still on campus – come grab these awesome new CDs before everyone else gets back!!!

Gold are my Flowers & A Civil War Song Cycle (CD 9503)

Beethoven - The Early Quartets - The Budapest String Quartets (CD 9504)

Bob Dylan – the collection - Blonde on Blonde & Blood on the Tracks & Infidels (CD 9505)

The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary (CD 9506)

Bobby Darin - The Hit Singles Collection (CD 9507)

70, Girls, 70 (CD 9508)

The Byrds - Greatest Hits (CD 9509)

Pearl (CD 9510)

The Fugs (CD 9511)

Deep Purple - Machine Head (CD 9512)

The Quintessence – Quincy Jones and his Orchestra (CD 9513)

The Best of the Everly Brothers – 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection (CD 9514)

New CDs

New CDs

John Tavener – Eternity’s Sunrise – The Choir and Orchestra of The Academy of Ancient Music directed by Paul Goodwin (CD 9499)

The Celtic Tenors - Feels Like Home (CD 9496)

Paysages – Debussy, Fauré, Messiaen - Susanna Phillips, soprano and Myra Huang, piano (CD 9494)

Babes in Arms - Mary Martin (CD 9495)

Johann Sebastian Bach – Kolbein Haga at the Gebr. Reil Orgran in the Stavanger Cathedral (CD 9502)

Sonny Rollins – Road Shows vol. 2 (CD 9501)

Camelot – Richard Burton and Julie Andrews - Original Broadway Cast Recording (CD 9500)

 

 

Branca – Symphony No. 5 (CD 9498)

Music of Fred Lerdahl – String Quartets 1, 2, & 3 - Daedalus Quartet (CD 9497)

Drive American – Heidi Louise Williams, piano (CD 9493)

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)