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Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Music Reference Specialist James Wintle. There is many an old familiar song running through the collective memory of the Western world that will occasionally cause one to sit back with a puzzled look and wonder: “Do I actually understand what I’m saying right now?” Foremost among these is …
Posted in: Guest bloggers, Holidays, Sheet Music, Special Collections
Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld
Every year when December arrives, I find the urge to re-watch the classic animated film, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Its themes centered in kindness and giving have always resonated with me most each holiday season. Originally written by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel and published in 1957, the 1966 special features a narration by Boris …
Posted in: Composers, Film Music, Holidays
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Senior Theater Specialist Walter Zvonchenko. Miles White (1914-2000) was one of the most admired costume designers for the American stage in the 20th century. He came to New York in the 1930s hoping for a career in high fashion. While that was not to be, his subsequent work …
Posted in: Curators, Guest bloggers, Special Collections, Theater
Posted by: David Plylar
The following is a guest post from Anne McLean of the Music Division. On Wednesday, December 12 tickets for the spectacular spring season of Concerts from the Library of Congress will be available via Eventbrite. Tickets will be released at 10:00 am (ET), for all events for the second half of the season: January 10 …
Posted in: Composers, Concerts and Events, Jazz, Musicians
Posted by: Melissa Wertheimer
The following is a guest post by Hallie Chametzky. Dance Archivist Libby Smigel introduces Hallie: Hallie Chametzky completed her summer Junior Fellowship with the Music Division in early August. Working with the papers of choreographer and Martha Graham Dance Company member Sophie Maslow, she discovered a wealth of documentation on a significant performance event, the …
Posted in: Dance, Guest bloggers, Holidays, Jewish American History, Women in Dance
Posted by: Larry Appelbaum
In January of 2017, I traveled to a suburb outside of Phoenix, Arizona to meet Dr. Gregory Morris and family. Morris is the nephew of Billy Strayhorn and Executor of the Billy Strayhorn Estate. Dr. Morris, a retired educator originally from Pittsburgh, kept the collection in safe hands for nearly five decades. The papers, including …
Posted in: African American History, Interviews, Jazz, New Acquisitions, Special Collections
Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld
Renowned pianist Artur Schnabel is best known for his recordings of a complete cycle of Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano sonatas, which he recorded from 1932-1935. His recording, the first ever made of the complete cycle of Beethoven’s 32 sonatas, to this day places him at the forefront of interpreting the composer’s piano works. Schnabel’s son …
Posted in: Composers, Concerts and Events, Musicians, Special Collections
Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld
Ever since I was little, one of the joys of Thanksgiving has been the leftovers in the days that follow. Who doesn’t like a Cajun turkey sandwich with some stuffing and mashed potatoes on the side? Some leftovers even get better with age, as the flavors become richer. Over this past Thanksgiving, I started thinking …
Posted in: Holidays, Special Collections
Posted by: Pat Padua
The following post is by retired music cataloger Sharon McKinley. I’ve enjoyed perusing the Library’s World War I sheet music over the past few years as we’ve commemorated the centennial of The Great War. We are now coming to the end of the fighting. Although the Treaty of Paris wasn’t signed until June 28,1919, an …
Posted in: Guest bloggers, Holidays, Sheet Music, Special Collections, World War I