Informing practice with historical context

The Schulich School of Music is that rare institution that specializes in more than one aspect of the discipline: music performance meets theory meets composition meets technology meets psychology…. And the Music Library loves to enrich those connections as a place where students, professors, and professionals meet and discover collections and facilities that serve the diverse needs of Montreal’s music community.

Papageno from the Puppenballett des Marionettentheaters Schloss Schönbrunn

Just one serendipitous example came through my email today where musicology and performance intersect. Of special interest to the Opera McGill students preparing for the March 2013 production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute: Opera Quarterly‘s current issue dedicated to the opera.

The contents start with Mozart’s contemporary Goethe and trace the reverberations of The Magic Flute through history:

Here are the articles:

“‘The Monstrous Rights of the Present’: Goethe and the Humanity of Die Zauberflöte
Jane K. Brown

“Live Marionettes and Divas on the Strings: Die Zauberflöte’s Interactions with Puppet Theater”
Martin Nedbal

“(De)Translating Mozart: The Magic Flute in 1909 Paris”
William Gibbons

“‘So Take This Magic Flute and Blow. It Will Protect Us As We Go’: Impempe Yomlingo (2007–11) and South Africa’s Ongoing Transition”
Sheila Boniface Davies, J. Q. Davies

“Papageno Redux: Repetition and the Rewriting of Character in Sequels to Die Zauberflöte
Hayoung Heidi Lee

“Who Were the Drei Knaben?”
Adeline Mueller

Happy reading!

Masterclass DVDs


MMF: Current releases and video excerpts

Teachers and students eager to learn about the best small projectors on the market and looking for extra insight into the interpretation and technical challenges of various essential recital or concert works will be interested in some of the recent masterclass resources acquired by the Music Library. With something for everyone, the award-winning series of videos produced by the Masterclass Media Foundation forms the largest portion of this part of our collection. The Music Library currently owns 42 DVDs in the series in the following categories: Piano (13 titles), Strings (18), Percussion (1), Chamber Music (2), Trumpet (1), Flute (1), Singing (3), and Conducting (3). Among the featured virtuosi imparting their wisdom are András Schiff, Joanna MacGregor, Maxim Vengerov, Yuri Bashmet, Steven Isserlis, Evelyn Glennie, Hakan Hardenberger, Emmanuel Pahud, Joan Rodgers, and Bernard Haitink. For a list of our holdings, search ‘Masterclass Media Foundation’ in the McGill Catalogue.

Additional related resources include:

Conducting: Marek Janowski, conductor & teacher [DVD 2148]

Voice: José van Dam, singer & teacher [DVD 2152]

Keyboard:

Alfred Brendel on music [DVD 2213]
Kenneth Gilbert, harpsichord & organ [DVD 2153]
Fred Karpoff / 3-D piano (6-DVDs) [DVD 2058]
Nikita Magaloff : pianist & teacher [DVD 2151]

Violin: Heifetz master classes [DVD 2073]

Viola: Yuri Bashmet, playing & teaching the viola [DVD 2150]

“… you are the music while the music lasts.” – T.S. Eliot (The Dry Salvages)

Now Playing in the Marvin Duchow Music Library

From time to time, the McGill Music Library “closes” and changes its identity into a progressive performance venue. In 2011, the Music Graduate Students’ Society (MGSS) began coordinating with Library staff to present “Library After Hours” open mic events. In so doing, the MGSS aims to provide music students with the opportunity to experiment with new repertoire, collaborate with others and improvise in an informal environment.True to form, a recent “Library After Hours” event included an eclectic mix of contributions: a performance of Ferneyhough’s Bone Alphabet, an improvisation session involving electronics and a double bass duo, a presentation of several jazz standards, and more.

MGSS “Library After Hours” events are another good example of what is going on behind the scenes at the Music Library as well as an illustration of McGill Library’s motto, Everything you need — including a place to perform on a Friday night, with scores, recording equipment and an enthusiastic audience close at hand.