BSU Music Collection Blog: 12/01/2014

Monday, December 15, 2014

Music for Hannukah

Hannukah music reflects the wide talents of Jewish musicians, from traditional songs about the eight-day celebration of light to modern Jewish experiences. The Music collection includes the traditional, the wacky, and everything in-between. Hanukkah isn't just for children anymore! Check out the following CDs, or search the catalog for Hanukkah--Songs and Music for more recordings and song books.

(How do you spell "Hanukkah?" -- in the library catalog it's Hanukkah. Other transliterations begin with "Ch-")

Yeshiva Boys Choir. Chanukah
Compact Disc 20790

Mama Doni. Chanukah Fever
Compact Disc 21866

Klezmer Conservatory Band. Oy Chanukah!
Compact Disc 18159

The LeeVees. Hanukkah Rocks
Compact Disc 21103

Craig Taubman. Celebrate Hanukkah
Compact Disc 19317

Jewish Wedding Band. A Child’s Hanukkah
Compact Disc 19275

Mark Rubin. Hill Country Hannukah
Compact Disc 21104

Thursday, December 11, 2014

2015 Grammy Award Nominees - Popular & Rock

The CDs and artists on this year's Grammy nomination lists are also popular with Ball State students and staff. If you want to listen to these albums but they're checked out, place a hold and it will be snagged for you when it is returned. All links go to the Libraries' CardCat catalog.

Arcade Fire

Best Alternative Music Album ("Reflektor")

Arctic Monkeys
Best Rock Performance ("Do I Wanna Know?")

Iggy Azalea
Best New Artist, Record of the Year ("Fancy"), Best Pop Duo/Group Performance ("Fancy" featuring Charli XCX)

Bastille
Best New Artist

Aloe Blacc
Best R&B Album ("Lift Your Spirit")

The Black Keys
Best Rock Performance ("Fever"), Best Rock Song ("Fever"), Best Rock Album ("Turn Blue")

Brandy Clark
Best New Artist

Cage the Elephant
Best Alternative Music Album ("Melophobia")

Coldplay
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance ("A Sky Full of Stars"), Best Pop Vocal Album ("Ghost Stories")

Miley Cyrus

Best Pop Vocal Album ("Bangerz")

Eminem
Best Rap Performance ("Rap God"), Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("The Monster" with Rihana)

Ariana Grande
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance ("Bang Bang" with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj), Best Pop Vocal Album ("My Everything")

Carole King

Best Musical Theatre Album ("Beautiful: The Carole King Musical")

John Legend
Best Pop Solo Performance ("All of Me" Live)

Paramore
Best Rock Song ("Ain't it Fun")

Katy Perry
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance ("Dark Horse" featuring Juicy J), Best Pop Vocal Album ("Prism")

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Best Rock Album ("Hypnotic Eye")

Robert Glasper Experiment
Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Jesus Children"), Best R&B Album ("Black Radio 2")

Schoolboy Q

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Studio" with BJ The Chicago Kid), Best Rap Album ("Oxymoron")

Ed Sheeran
Album of the Year ("X"), Best Pop Vocal Album ("X")

Sia
Record of the Year ("Chandelier"), Song of the Year ("Chandelier"), Best Pop Solo Performance ("Chandelier")

Sam Smith

Best New Artist, Record of the Year ("Stay With Me"), Album of the Year ("In the Lonely Hour"),Song of the Year ("Stay With Me"), Best Pop Vocal Album ("In the Lonely Hour")

Taylor Swift
Record of the Year ("Shake it Off"), Song of the Year ("Shake it Off"), Best Pop Solo Performance ("Shake it Off")

U2
Best Rock Album ("Songs of Innocence")

Kanye West

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Bound 2" with Charlie Wilson), Best Rap Song ("Bound 2")

Pharrell Williams
Album of the Year ("Girl"), Best Pop Solo Performance ("Happy" Live), Best Urban Contemporary Album ("Girl")

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

2015 Grammy Nominees -- Classical

Many of this year's Grammy-nominated classical CDs are available from the University Libraries, either online via Naxos Music Library (log-in required from off-campus) or in the Music Collection (indicated by call number). There are interesting selections in each category:

http://bsu.naxosmusiclibrary.com/catalogue/item.asp?cid=FR-710

Best Orchestral Performance
Dutilleux: Symphony No. 1; Tout Un Monde Lointain; The Shadows Of Time / Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony) / Label: Seattle Symphony Media

Dvorak: Symphony No. 8; Janàcek: Symphonic Suite from Jenufa / Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) / Label: Reference Recordings

Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 7; Tapiola / Robert Spano, conductor (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) / Label: ASO Media

Best Opera Recording

Charpentier: La Descente D'Orphee Aus Enfers / Boston Early Music Festaval / Label: CPO

Milhaud: L'Orestie D'Eschyle / University of Michgan / Label: Naxos

Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie / William Christie, conductor / Glyndebourne Chorus & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
DVD Video 11931 (Educational Resources Collections)

Strauss: Elektra / Christian Thielemann, conductor / Staatskapelle Dresden / Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Compact Disc 22049

Best Choral Performance

Bach: Matthäus-Passion / René Jacobs / Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin / Label: Harmonia Mundi
Call Number: Compact Disc 21799

The Sacred Spirit of Russia / Craig Hella Johnson, conductor
Call Number: (still in processing)

Best Chamber Music
Martinu: Cellos Sonatas Nos. 1-3; Sibelius Malinconia; Mustonen Cello Sonata / Steve Isserus & Olli Mustonen / Label: Bis

Sing Thee Nowell / New York Polyphony / Label: Bis

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

http://bsu.naxosmusiclibrary.com/catalogue/item.asp?cid=SSM1001

All the Things You Are (Music for piano, left-hand) / Leon Fleisher / Label: Bridge Records
Compact Disc 21971

Dutilleux: Symphony No. 1; Tout un monde lointain / Seattle Symphony, Xavier Phillips, cello / Label: Seattle Symphony Media

Play / Jason Vieaux, guitar / Label: Azica

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Douce France / Anne Sofie von Otter / Label: Naïve

Porpora: Arias / Philippe Jaroussky / Label: Erato
Compact Disc 21177

Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin / Florian Boesch / Label: Onyx

Stella di Napoli / Joyce DiDonato / Erato

Virtuoso Rossini Arias / Lawrence Brownlee / Delos

Best Classical Compendium
Britten to America (Radio & Theatre Music) / Label: NMC

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

John Luther Adams: Become Ocean* / Seattle Symphony / Label: Cantaloupe
* Also awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize

Clyne: Prince of Clouds / Jennifer Koh & Jaime Laredo / Label: Cedille

Roberto Sierra: Sinfonía No. 4 / Label: Naxos

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Music for the Winter Solstice

Solstice celebrations predate European Christianity, and may also predate other religions' winter celebrations. Even the earliest humans would have been aware of the changing of the seasons, with days getting shorter and then longer. Ancient monuments are aligned with the Sun's location on the longest or shortest days of the year, including some ancient burial mounds in Indiana. Though ancient music for these festivities has not survived, modern composers and artists are reviving the celebration in music: