a-lyssnin’ weekly. july 17
A weekly roundup of what I’ve been a-lyssnin’ to. (…get it!?…come on, you know that’s a good one.)
Well y’all…its been a crazy week. OSSIA’s Op Culture video content is officially LIVE! You can check it out here. Hope you enjoy my soundtrack for the week. Let me know what you’re listening to in the comments!
Almost every moment of deep, intense focus I’ve had this week has been accompanied by Voces8. They’re a UK based ensemble that specializes in works of the Renaissance and Baroque. I was delighted, however, to find a recent collaboration of theirs with Jacob Collier. SO DELIGHTED, in fact, that I put it on this week’s playlist [along with some of Voces8’s usual fare] for you to check out.
Dolly Parton is easily in my Top 5 Favorite Women of All Time list due to the fact that there is absolutely nothing she can't do. She has left no. rhinestone. unturned. This podcast about Dolly was recommended to me back in December and when I finally got around to listening, I binged every episode in 2 DAYS. SO.GOOD. You can guarantee I’m always a-lyssnin’ to a little Dolly so I’ve dropped some of my personal faves into the playlist and the first episode of WNYC’s Dolly Parton’s America below.
Also occupying my Top 5 Favorite Women of All Time list is Elizabeth I.
[Yes, I mean the British monarch. Yes, I understand that I have very specific interests.]
Both historically and operatically speaking she’s a pretty rad character. I’ve been loving Jennifer Larmore’s interpretation of Elizabeth in Rossini’s opera (loosely) based on her life.
Really I think this semi-forgotten opera could use a little love and a comeback. I volunteer. Come on…it’s peak Rossini, premiering around the same time as Barber of Seville when he’s writing some of his most recognizable melodies. Its exciting, its fast, lots of high notes, what’s not to love? Truly, can I start a movement to get this opera performed more!?
Jennifer Larmore sings one of Elizabeth’s absolutely exquisite arias on this week's playlist.
One of the musicians who consistently makes an impact on me is Rhiannon Giddens. Seriously, every album is a gem. Not only is her artistry top notch, but she is also completely mesmerizing in interviews. No one talks about her work as meaningfully as she does, so I’ll shut up and let you listen to her instead. Heres an interview from NPR’s Fresh Air about her 2017 album Freedom Highway and a great TED feature piece on her music. She speaks really poignantly on topics like racism and police violence and their intersection with her work on this album. You’ll also find a few of her songs from Freedom Highway on the playlist.
