Snare drums in abundance

Move over guitar collectors, it's time to give the drummers some ink. One of the world's most valuable collections of vintage snare drums is presented in this beautiful, full-color book, Vintage Snare Drums : the Curotto Collection. The book features 85 of the rarest vintage snare drums from Curotto's collection of more than 420. The drums are gold plated/engraved, silver plated/engraved and black engraved snare drums, plus a "Future Collectable" section. Every snare gets a complete historical description of all facets of its components and the back-story on its creation and where it was "found" before Curotto acquired it. Brands covered include the most famous manufacturers - Ludwig, Slingerland, Gladstone, Leedy, Gretsch and Wurlitzer. - Photographed with the highest-quality digital camera, the images are gorgeous in detail and lighting.

Writing on the Wall!

In March 1963, Igor Stravinsky visited Oberlin as part of a contemporary festival. After hearing the students' rendition of his Septet, Stravinsky was so pleased that he took his rehearsal pencil and scribed his excitement on the wall. The plaster "excerpt" was rescued and is now on display as part of the Conservatory Library's Bibliorarities Exhibit series.

Igor Stravinsky’s publisher, impatient to publish his latest composition, urged him to hurry its completion. “Hurry!” exclaimed the enraged composer. “I never hurry. I have no time to hurry.”

A little Verdi for your Friday entertainment!

Do you think Verdi would approve of this version of Traviata - Choeur Bohémiens? Watch the film clip! Compliments of dailymotion.

New title in Periodicals

The premiere issue of Journal of the Society for American Music is now available in Periodicals.

Oberlin grad in the NY Times!

Chinese Composer Talks Cello, All Dialects

As Huang Ruo originally conceived it, his new cello concerto, “People Mountain People Sea,” was to have started not with music but with a recorded voice — Mr. Huang’s — speaking in a made-up language, accompanying projected photographs of China in the 1920s. ...

Read the entire article by Allan Kozinn in the NYTimes

April is Jazz Appreciation Month!

Learn more about Jazz in Cleveland!

Jazz has been important in Cleveland since the 1920s with events ranging from Art Tatum's regular sitting-in at Val's in the Alley in the 1930s to the Cleveland premiere of Charles Mingus' Epitaph at Severance Hall in 1990 and the world premiere of David Murray's Picasso Suite at the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1992. Important jazz innovations from Clevelanders include Tadd Dameron's bebop arrangements and Albert Ayler's free jazz.

This post is brought to you by William Anderson, music librarian at the Cleveland Public Library. Check out the jazz resource page that William put together for Jazz Appreciation Month.

Search Fatigue - researching a work of music

Need help researching a work of music? Follow these steps for search success:
1. Grove Music Online

2. OBIS look for BOOKS. Your piece may be featured in a book or chapter of a book.
Be sure you look for composer biographies may include analysis of compositions. Use the index!

3. OBIS remember RECORDINGS and their Liner notes!

4. Online Databases of Journals: Music Index, RILM, RIPM

5. Online Databases of Journals with FULL TEXT : JSTOR, IIPM, EJC

6. Bio-Bibliographies (Con Reference ML 134). Bio-bibliographies are research guide, with comprehensive, descriptive lists of compositions, performances, books, and articles by or about the composer. These are shelved by composer’s last name, e.g. Shostakovich is under ML 134 .S.