Sounds of the Season: Part III

Part Three of our "Sounds of the Season" music recommendations comes from Mark Hudson, Adult Services Librarian and today's guest poster:


I usually wait until December to start listening to holiday music, and the music I like tends to be fairly traditional -- old hymns and spirituals, jazz and rhythm and blues from the 1950s and 1960s. Even the newer music I listen to is strongly roots-based, as you can see from my list of favorites:



-- Oy Chanukah! (Klezmer Conservatory Band)

I'll start with Hanukkah, because it always comes before Christmas. Oy Chanukah!  includes lively klezmer versions of traditional Hanukkah songs, interspersed with reminiscences and explanations of Hanukkah traditions from immigrant elders and other sources. If you're looking for just one CD to celebrate Hanukkah, this is probably the one.

Request Oy Chanukah! from the Catalog



-- Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah (Klezmatics)

In 1942, the renowned singer-songwriter and folk musician Woody Guthrie moved to Brooklyn. Through his mother-in-law, the influential Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt, he became involved with the Jewish community, and wrote songs about Hanukkah and other aspects of Jewish history and spiritual life. Woody's Hanukkah lyrics sat forgotten in archives for decades until they were rediscovered in 1998 by his daughter, Nora Guthrie, who asked the Klezmatics to write new music for them. Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah deftly mixes klezmer with country, bluegrass, funk and jazz in a collection of songs that's almost certainly destined to become a perennial holiday classic.

Request Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah from the Catalog



-- A Christmas Celtic Sojourn (Various Artists)

This album and its sequel, Comfort and Joy, have become two of my favorite Christmas music compilations. Musicians from all parts of the Celtic world perform an idiosyncratic mix of ancient and modern songs on traditional and modern instruments. Some of these songs are ethereal and contemplative, some are more raucous, but they're all beautiful and quite unusual -- definitely "off the beaten path," musically speaking. Even the few better-known melodies in the collection (e.g., "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear") are given unique interpretations and sound nothing like the more commonly-heard versions.

Request A Christmas Celtic Sojourn from the Catalog



-- Christmas in Bethlehem (Bach Choir of Bethlehem)

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, PA was organized in 1898 and is the oldest Bach choir in the United States. This collection includes some well-known Christmas hymns, along with many others you may have not heard before!

Request Christmas in Bethlehem from the Catalog



-- Soul Christmas (Various Artists)

This absolutely must-have collection is a 1991 reissue, which includes eight of the eleven tracks on the original 1968 release, plus eleven newer songs from the vaults of Atlantic Records. The artist list comprises some of the most illustrious names in soul/R&B history: Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters, Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Impressions, Otis Redding, Joe Tex, Solomon Burke, King Curtis and more.

Request Soul Christmas from the Catalog



-- Christmas Spirituals and Beautiful Star (Odetta)

Odetta, who Martin Luther King, Jr. once called "the queen of American folk music," recorded Christmas Spirituals at Carnegie Hall in 1960. In 1987, she re-recorded the same set of thirteen traditional and original spirituals in Burlington, Vermont, and the resulting CD was issued under the title Beautiful Star. The earlier recording is rougher, the later one more heavily produced. Both are magnificent.

Request Christmas Spirituals from the Catalog

Request Beautiful Star from the Catalog



-- Verve Presents: The Very Best of Christmas Jazz (Various Artists)

This is a collection of classic Christmas songs from the catalog of Verve Records. If you love jazz, this is the Christmas record for you! Artists presented include Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Dinah Washington and Oscar Peterson. Fitzgerald's version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" leads off the CD and is, without a doubt, my favorite version of that song ever recorded. Coltrane's version of "Greensleeves" is likewise not to be missed.

Request Verve Presents: The Very Best of Christmas Jazz from the Catalog

Sounds of the Season: Part I

I love Christmas music. I rarely make it until after Thanksgiving before I break out the Christmas albums, and I've been known to listen to Carol of the Bells or Star of Bethlehem during the middle of the summer.

But as much as I love The Little Drummer Boy and Merry Christmas, Darling -- there are quite a few Christmas albums I cherish that don't fit the conventional mold. Read on for my holiday music recommendations:


-- Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The 2000 soundtrack

Though I'm a big Jim Carrey fan, I confess that his live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas is not my personal cup of tea. That doesn't stop me from loving the soundtrack, however, which features original Christmas-themed songs from the Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds, Smash Mouth, Faith Hill, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The songs are mostly not featured in the film, yet still retain a very Grinch-y flavor; if Christmas is not your favorite time of year, you may be able to relate!  But there's plenty for Christmas-lovers here, too -- including an updated version of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, sung by Jim Carrey himself. (And, whatever your feelings on Jim Carrey, the truth remains: the guy can sing.)

Perfect for Scrooges and Tiny Tims alike, this album is the first one I reach for come Christmastime.

Request the Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack from the Catalog

-- A Colbert Christmas

In 2008, Stephen Colbert (of The Colbert Report) did a Comedy Central Christmas special entitled A Colbert Christmas, complete with original Christmas songs and a plethora of musical guest stars that included Willie Nelson, John Legend, Feist, and Elvis Costello. The songs are both utterly hilarious -- the album won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album -- but also ridiculously catchy. The satire flies strong, with Colbert's "Another Christmas Song" poking gentle fun at Christmas commercialism and Feist's "Please Be Patient" using a Christmas carol standard as telemarketing muzak. (It's funnier than it sounds.)

My favorite tunes feature Colbert in duets with his guest stars. There's "Can I Interest You In Hannukah?" as performed with fellow comedy show host Jon Stewart. And then there's Colbert's duet with Elvis Costello, in the funny and surprisingly philosophical "There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In." If you're looking for some humor this holiday, give A Colbert Christmas a try.

Request A Colbert Christmas [DVD] from the Catalog

-- A Christmas Story: The Musical

Based on the holiday classic A Christmas Story, the adapted musical was first performed over 25 years after the film was first released. I've not seen the musical itself, but as a big fan of show tunes, I've checked out the soundtrack. And I'm pleased to report that, while not every song is instantly memorable, there are a whole host of selections that are: "Genius of Cleveland Street," "Up on Santa's Lap," and "When You're a Wimp," among others.

You don't have to be familiar with the original film to appreciate the tunes on the album -- particularly the opening number, "Counting Down to Christmas." If parents are frantic to get ready for the season in time, our protagonist, Ralphie, is equally frantic: he's running out of time to make his Christmas gift wishes known to his parents. After all, what's a boy who just wants an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Range Model Air Rifle BB gun (with a compass and a stock and this thing that tells time) to do??  It's Christmas from a kid's point of view, and, for the most part, the music captures that world beautifully.

Request the Christmas Story soundtrack from the Catalog



-- Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics

I recently mentioned my affection for the rude, crude, classic animated series South Park. The show runners have done a number of holiday-themed episodes, but my favorite is their musical installment, Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics. Styled like a (rather unconventional) variety show, the episode features ten holidays standards with a decided South Park twist, including O Tannenbaum, Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, and a version of Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel sung in rounds. (The album version of the episode features an additional eight songs.)

This being South Park, most of the songs are warped to humorous effect, making for holiday music filled with the show's typical irreverent humor. For those familiar with South Park, however, it's all part of the fun, making this an ideal holiday treat for fans.

Request Christmas Time in South Park [DVD] from the Catalog



-- Straight No Chaser

A professional a cappella group, SNC first came to prominence with their holiday-themed music, performed with only vocal back-up. Though they have since released other albums, they remain best-known for their holiday offerings.

Rather than detract from the sound, the a cappella approach offers a wholly unique performance, with singers in the place of instruments creating the songs' back-up. With a handful of delightfully fun unique pieces, Straight No Chaser is an unconventional take on classic carols. Not to be missed!

Request Holiday Spirits from the Catalog

Request Christmas Cheers from the Catalog

Request Under the Influence from the Catalog

Click here to hear Straight No Chaser perform "The Christmas Can-Can"

-- Post by Ms. B 

Keep the Faith

It's funny. Despite being a child of the 80s, I don't, as a rule, like 80s music. And yet I didn't just manage to make an exception for this particular group -- they actually happen to be my very favorite band.

If you're a Bon Jovi fan, you get where I'm coming from.

There's kind of a lot of fans

Bon Jovi is not a "Favorite Band" pick that often wins you a lot of respect in serious music circles. But, to be fair to my musical tastes, they don't always get the credit they deserve. They've long since transcended their roots as an 80s hair band, and it's a mark of their talents as songwriters and performers that they've stayed relevant for nearly three decades.

For those of us who are fans, their apparently timeless appeal is easy to understand. Their songs are admittedly simple, but they're also infused with a real energy, making for tunes that are flat-out catchy fun. Their music's also packed with undefeatable optimism. Their lyrics have a message, and it's generally one of hope (you can't be a cynic and a Bon Jovi fan at the same time; it's a mathematical impossibility). In my experience, no one leaves a Bon Jovi concert in a bad mood. (And I've been to quite a few concerts.)

Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi recently celebrated his birthday (March 2), so that's exactly the excuse I need to talk a bit Bon Jovi. Allow me to recommend to you my top five album picks:

-- Slippery When Wet

Despite being their third album, 1986's Slippery When Wet was the album that catapulted Bon Jovi to success. Small wonder: the album contains the three songs that Bon Jovi is arguably best known for: "Livin' on a Prayer," "You Give Love a Bad Name," and "Wanted Dead or Alive."

The last song, which compares the life of a rock star to the life of a cowboy, is an incredibly catchy earworm with an unforgettable hook -- but it also has some interesting commentary on the world of rock 'n' roll and celebrity culture. It's the band's biggest singalong concert performance (with Jon Bon Jovi often bringing the audience in to take over for a verse), as well as their undeniable signature piece.



-- Have a Nice Day

Released in 2005, this ninth offering from the band is, at least to me, something of a turning point in Bon Jovi's musical sound.

In addition to the catchy song from the title, there's "Novocaine," "Last Man Standing" (a futuristic sci-fi piece on the music industry -- really!), "Story of My Life," and "Welcome to Wherever You Are" (my favorite song on the album).

This album's also notable for the song "Who Says You Can't Go Home,"  which appears in two different versions -- once as a solo for Jon, and a second version sung as a duet with Jennifer Nettles (one half of the country-singing duo Sugarland). While the duet version only made it to the 5th slot on Billboard's US Top 40, it made Bon Jovi history by hitting Billboard's #1 spot on the Hot Country Songs list.



-- Lost Highway

After the runaway success of "Who Says You Can't Go Home," it probably seemed like a no-brainer for Bon Jovi to try their hand at a full album's worth of country-inspired sound. This follow-up to Have a Nice Day is clearly influenced by the genre of country music, giving a different flavor to the band's unique sound.

While I am, admittedly, not particularly a fan of much country music, I was pleasantly surprised to find this release quickly becoming another one of my favorites. Much to my surprise, the songs I like best -- "Whole Lot of Leavin'," "Any Other Day," "We Got It Going On" (done as a duet with country music duo Big & Rich) -- are the ones that are most clearly a mix of Bon Jovi's rock roots and a newer, country music influence. The title song, "Lost Highway," is a great driving tune.



-- Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection

I'm absolutely positive it's cheating to include this album -- a 2-disc compilation of, well, what it says on the tin. But it's hard to deny the draw of this 2010 release, which dips into such albums as Crush, New Jersey, and Keep the Faith to pull together all their best-loved songs into one complete set. In addition to the three biggest hits from Slippery When Wet, we also get such fantastic classics as "It's My Life," "Blaze of Glory," "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night," "Bad Medicine," and "Keep the Faith" (that last's a particular favorite of mine).

 There's also a handful of new tunes in the bonus tracks. (One of them, "The More Things Change," is one of my very favorite Bon Jovi songs.) You can't beat that for a single album!



-- The Circle

"The Circle," Bon Jovi's eleventh studio album, is a unique album for me. While it is, in many ways, a return to the band's rock roots, there's a freshness to much of the music that makes the album stand out.

Many of the songs are clearly influenced by current events (the album was released in 2009). Such songs as "Work for the Working Man" and "Brokenpromiseland" bring to mind the aftermath of the economic crisis; "Bullet" and "Happy Now" seem to reference the fears of the time.

But the best song of the album (and, to my mind, the best Bon Jovi song there is) is the wholly unusual "When We Were Beautiful." A surprisingly poignant piece, the song has the strong hook and typical structure one might expect from a Bon Jovi tune -- but the sound itself is unique. It's fitting for a song that looks both to the past and towards the future, making it a whole new kind of signature performance for the band.

Watch the band perform "When We Were Beautiful"

From the Catalog:

-- Music albums by (or featuring) Bon Jovi

-- Bon Jovi: The Crush Tour [DVD]

-- Lost Highway: The Concert [DVD]

-- Bon Jovi: Live at Madison Square Garden, July 15, 2008 [DVD]

-- Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful - Conversations with Phil Griffin - a book about the band



-- Post by Ms. B

Polka Face

A few months ago, I went to a Weird Al Yankovic concert. Though I'm something of a recent Weird Al fan, it was easily one of the most fun concerts I've ever been to.

There's no denying that "Weird Al" Yankovic is a truly talented musician (listen to "White and Nerdy" sometime, and note how he manages to spit out those rapid-fire lyrics). But a large part of his brilliance can be ascribed to his talent as a song parodist, taking well-known hit songs and giving them his own unique twist -- be it Michael Jackson's "Beat It" becoming "Eat It," James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" becoming "You're Pitiful," or Miley Cyrus's "Party in the U.S.A." becoming "Party in the CIA."

Weird Al Yankovic is a brilliant musician in his own right -- but it's the humor and fun of his parodies that add an extra dimension of awesome to his performances. With October 23rd marking his 54th birthday, it's a good time to recommend some other parodies that are sure to make you smile:



- Robin Hood: Men in Tights

I know, I know -- Mel Brooks's comedic masterpieces are clearly Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. Tough. This one's my favorite.

Besides, when it comes to parodies, this one is the most direct in its target (archery pun intended). While Men in Tights is plenty amusing in its own right, it's best enjoyed if you've first seen the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The Costner vehicle was released in 1991, making Brooks's 1993 parody offering a direct response to the original blockbuster.

Starring Cary Elwes as Robin Hood (who rightly noted, "Unlike other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent"), Men in Tights tells much the same story as the original movie it parodies. Robin Hood puts together his band of Merry Men to bring down the evil Prince John and his right-hand man, the Sheriff of Rottingham (whose first name happens to be "Mervin," not that you asked). The beats of the movie more or less follow Prince of Thieves to a T; there's even a bonus cameo of Sir Patrick Stewart, taking on the Sean Connery role of King Richard. How can this not be my favorite?

Request Robin Hood: Men in Tights from the Catalog



- Galaxy Quest

You may have gathered this by now, but I'm a big Star Trek fan. So it was pretty much preordained that I would fall in love with a Star Trek parody this good.

The story centers on a group of actors, who were the stars of the campy sci-fi series Galaxy Quest some twenty years ago. With their show long cancelled, the "crew" find themselves making their living by attending conventions and doing commercials. They snipe at each other -- particularly at Jason Nesmith, who played the captain on the show -- and generally find their lot in life to be a disheartening one. That all changes when a group of real aliens show up. Aliens who are admirers of the show. Aliens who don't have a concept of "fiction" in their society. Convinced that the Galaxy Quest actors are really a crew of space-exploring heroes, the aliens promptly pressgang the actors into helping them defeat an evil alien warlord.

It goes about as well as can be expected.

The Trek parodies are spot on ("Hey, don't open that [hatch]!  It's an alien planet!  Is there air??  You don't know!") But there's a real heart to the story that makes this film more than the sum of its parts. It's a genuine comedy that also has something to say about the nature of science fiction, imagination, and inspiration -- and it remains one of my very favorite films.

Request Galaxy Quest from the Catalog



- Dave Barry's "Fangs of Endearment: A Vampire Novel"

Every once in awhile, ever feel like a favorite author or actor has created something specifically with you in mind?

In his latest essay collection, I'll Mature When I'm Dead, humorist Dave Barry tackles a wide range of topics, from dance recitals to Hollywood to youth sports to colonoscopies. But my favorite chapter is the one entitled "Fangs of Endearment: A Vampire Novel." It's a clear parody of the third volume in Stephenie Meyer's popular Twilight series, Eclipse, and I could only conclude Barry had written it because he knew how much I'd enjoy it:

"The more I thought about it, the more I knew what I had to do: I had to go out into the woods alone. It seemed crazy, like the plot of a bad horror movie where the teenage girl hears a scary noise in the basement, but instead of doing what anybody with an IQ higher than a Chicken McNugget would do, namely sprint out of the house, she goes down into the basement. But I knew I had to do it, because that's what I always do with my trademark stubbornness: I place myself in grave plot peril when there is no coherent reason to do so. Some people may call this ridiculous, but I am guessing that 'some people' have not sold 50 million books to date.

"'I'm tired,' I informed [my father] Pete, yawning with my mouth open for emphasis. 'I think I'll go up to my room now.' I leaned over to give Pete a goodnight kiss, only to trip forward with my trademark heartwarming clumsiness and head-butt him in the temple. He went down like a sack of gravel, out cold on the kitchen floor, eyes open, pupils dilated. I decided it was best to leave him there. I knew that he couldn't do anything anyway. It was up to me. Only me. Me me me me me."

Request I'll Mature When I'm Dead from the Catalog



- South Park, Episode 12.2: "Britney's New Look"

Choosing a favorite South Park parody episode is sort of like choosing a favorite child -- at least for me, a huge South Park fan. But if truly pressed, I'd have to go with "Britney's New Look," an episode which aired in the show's 12th season.

When South Park is at its best (which is often), it becomes more than a showcasing of outrageous jokes and crude humor. Many episodes excel at using parody and farce to make a point, a skill which is put to good use in this episode. When the South Park kids discover that Britney Spears has come to Colorado, they decide to snap her picture and sell it to the tabloids for cash. They sneak into her hotel by claiming to be her children ("It's okay," an excited Britney says on the phone, moments before the boys walk in. "My kids are here. I feel better now.") The boys promptly walk into her room, and Britney's devastation at not seeing her children, and at the relentless media bombardment, give the boys more than they bargained for.

Surprisingly sympathetic to the real Britney Spears (in their own South Park-ian way), show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone use this episode as commentary on our culture's obsession with celebrity and the preying nature of the paparazzi who surround them. The ending of the episode is a brilliant spoof of Shirley Jackson's classic story The Lottery, with the thrown stones of the original story being replaced by paparazzi camera flashes.

Request South Park: The Complete 12th Season from the Catalog



- "The Saga Begins" - Weird Al Yankovic

There are a lot of beautiful Weird Al parodies. This one just might be the best.

Get the song on Weird Al Yankovic's album "Running With Scissors" from the Catalog

Happy Birthday, Mr. Yankovic!

-- Post by Ms. B

Immortal Beloved

December 16 marked Ludwig van Beethoven's 242nd birthday. And, being a massive Beethoven fan, I wanted to do something to mark the occasion. So let's celebrate the great composer by taking a look at some of the Best of Beethoven Trivia:

-- Beethoven was born in 1770. When little Ludwig was old enough to start showing a talent for music, his father (a musician himself) decided his son was going to be a child prodigy. Of course, Beethoven actually was a child prodigy -- but it still wasn't enough for dear Dad. Determined to make his son appear as brilliant as possible, Johann Beethoven routinely told people that Ludwig was two years younger than he actually was. It was years before Ludwig himself discovered that he actually hadn't been born in 1772.

-- When he was about 18, Beethoven was lucky enough to travel to Vienna (the European center of music at the time) and meet his hero: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart later commented on Beethoven's musical performance to friends, saying, "Keep your eyes on him; someday he will give the world something to talk about."

-- Beethoven's eccentric personality was one of his most defining characteristics. He could be moody, arrogant, and insulting; or warm, good-humored, and compassionate.

-- He liked jokes, bad puns, and even pranks, and was known to sometimes be a chair-puller.

-- One of his most famous patrons was Prince Karl Lichnowsky. He once told the prince (who provided Beethoven with financial support, mind), "There are and there will be thousands of princes. There is only one Beethoven."

-- Beethoven was not the most desirable of customers. He went through servants and landlords as an alarming rate. At restaurants, he'd forget to pay the bill, wrote musical notations on the tablecloths, and once dumped a dish of veal and gravy over a waiter.

-- He wrote, among other things, nine symphonies, five piano concertos, 16 string quartets, 10 violin sonatas (plus five for cello and 30 for piano), and two masses.

-- "Ever thine. Ever mine. Ever ours. ..." Although he never married, Beethoven loved several women in his life. The most famous, though her identity remains a mystery to this day, is the "Immortal Beloved" to whom he wrote a love letter.

-- The great tragedy of Beethoven's life as a musician was his increasing deafness. He was hard of hearing and suffered from increasingly severe tinnitus (ringing of the ears). He famously carried around "Conversation books" (many of which survived to this day), asking those around him to write down their responses to him instead of speaking aloud.

-- Beethoven's Ninth (and final) Symphony had its premiere performance on May 7, 1824. (That's the one featuring the famous "Ode to Joy" chorus in the final movement.) By this time, Beethoven's hearing was virtually gone -- but he still insisted on conducting the concert himself. A second conductor, Michael Umlauf, stood beside him, and instructed the performers to disregard Beethoven's signals and focus only on Umlauf. Beethoven, for his part, continued to conduct with his usual enthusiastic vigor (even though much of his gesturing did not match the orchestra's actual performance).

That opening concert of the Ninth Symphony was unlike anything anyone had ever heard before. At the end of the performance, the audience leapt to their feet, cheering and applauding with wild enthusiasm, already calling for an encore. But Beethoven, his back to the audience, conducted onward, unable to hear the applause -- and lost in the world of music he heard inside. Finally, Karoline Unger, one of the sopranos, stepped forward and touched Beethoven's sleeve to turn him around ... so he could see the audience's joyous response.

Video: Ode to Joy flash mob

-- Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are space probes that were launched in 1977. (Stick with me; I promise this is related.) The probes were launched to explore the furthest reaches of our solar system, but they're also something of messages-in-bottles. Each probe contains a gold-plated copper "phonograph record" disk (along with instructions on how to play them), meant to be messages about humanity to any intelligent life that may run across them. The disks are etched with pictures of Earth, and contain samples of sound ... and music. Including a recording of the Fifth Symphony.

After a flash mob that awesome, it seems only fitting to find out that Beethoven's music has reached the stars.

Music:

- Beethoven's Last Night (album): The rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra is mostly known for their rocked-out Christmas music releases. I much prefer this concept album for a "musical," featuring Beethoven, a deal with the devil, and the fate of his "lost" Tenth Symphony.

- Music collection of Beethoven (county library collection)

Films:

- Immortal Beloved: Starring Gary Oldman as the famous composer, this 2000 movie tries to answer the question of the identity of Beethoven's famous and enigmatic "Immortal Beloved."

- Beethoven Lives Upstairs: This charming (and family-friendly) little movie tells the story of ten-year-old Christoph, whose family has a most unusual and eccentric second-floor tenant.

- Copying Beethoven: Taking place during the last three years of Beethoven's life, the film opens with the composing of the Ninth Symphony. Ed Harris stars as Beethoven, with Diane Kruger as the copyist hired to help him complete his manuscripts.

- Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: These Disney classics feature works of classical music set to animated sequences. The first Fantasia film features the gods of Greek Mythology in Beethoven's Pastoral Sixth Symphony, while the Fantasia 2000 sequence has an exert from the Fifty Symphony featuring a battle ... of butterflies!



Books:

- Beethoven's Hair: DNA testing on a lock of Beethoven's hair revealed some startling theories about the composer's death and life. (Was later made into a documentary.)

- Beethoven As I Knew Him: A biography written by one of Beethoven's own students.

- Beethoven's Letters: Does what it says on the tin. This collection of letters, written throughout the composer's lifetime, offers a fascinating look into, as they say, the man behind the myth. (You can hear dramatic readings of some of those letters in this documentary.)

-- Post by Ms. B

A Pirate's Life for Me

I love pirates. If you've ever met me, then you probably know this already -- I've got something of a reputation as a pirate fan. (Er. As in "historical, swashbuckling buccaneers," that is. Not the baseball team.) (Although, come to think of it, I'm a fan of the baseball team, too. They've got quite a cool name.)

Of course, as an obsessor of pirates, I'm quite aware that the happy-go-lucky swashbucklers of fiction and film are a far cry from the historical reality. Real pirates of the seventeenth and eighteenth century were rough, brutal men and women (yes, there were women pirates, too) who lived with constant violence and without regrets. But pirate crews were also notable for being made up of people escaping tyrannical naval captains, slavery, and impoverished living conditions. Pirate crews were also true democratic societies -- pirate ships would choose their own captain by election, and every major decision was first put to vote by the crew.

In history and in fantasy, the Golden Age pirates have captured the imagination of people the world over. As we approach the release of the new Disney film "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," check out these titles -- and find your inner swashbuckler!

Films

• The Curse of the Black Pearl [videorecording]
  Dead Man's Chest [videorecording]
  At World's End [videorecording]
  Be sure to catch up on the first three films before seeing the newest installment!
• The Black Swan [videorecording]
  Not a reference to the Natalie Portman movie! This classic film from 1942 stars Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, and Anthony Quinn in a tale about the real-life buccaneer Henry Morgan.
• Captain Blood [videorecording] Based on the novel by Rafael Sabatini, this 1932 picture stars Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone (of Sherlock Holmes fame), and the irreplaceable Errol Flynn.
• Muppet Treasure Island [videorecording]
  You can't go wrong with a film adaptation of "Treasure Island" that stars both Tim Curry and Kermit the Frog! A great family film.

Books

• Under the Black Flag: The Romance And The Reality Of Life Among The Pirates, by David Cordingly. [non-fiction]
  The quintessential modern overview to what life was like during the "Golden Age of Piracy" -- the period of time during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, when piracy in the Caribbean ran rampant.
• Pirate Hunter: The True Story Of Captain Kidd, by Richard Zacks. [non-fiction]
  Pop culture tells us that Captain Kidd was the epitome of a Golden Age pirate. But this account shows that Kidd was, instead, a licensed privateer who was set up by the East India Trading Company to take the fall after inadvertently pitting himself against them. A rip-roaring story, told in a fascinating style, Zacks's book is highly recommended.
• Chase the Morning, by Michael Scott Rohan. [novel]
  A fantasy adventure featuring an unlikely protagonist, an import/export agent who finds himself sucked into an alternate world of heroes, demigods ... and pirates.
• Pirate Latitudes: A Novel, by Michael Crichton. [novel]
  Published posthumously, this caper-style historical novel is notably different from Crichton's usual science thrillers.
• The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook: A Swashbuckler's Guide from Pirates of the Caribbean, by Jason Heller. [humor]
  A great book for anyone looking to encourage their inner swashbuckler. Contains such "vital nautical information" as how to break a curse, how to stay alive when your ship sinks, and the Top Ten Pirate Superstitions.
• Bloody Jack : Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy, by L.A. Meyer. [YA novel]
  The first in a series of young adult novels, Jacky Faber -- a young orphan girl struggling to survive on the streets of London -- decides to disguise herself as a boy and sign on to serve on a merchant ship. She's not looking for adventure, she's merely trying to survive -- but adventure has a way of finding Jacky Faber!

Music

• Rogue's Gallery [sound recording] : Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys [sound recording]
  This collection of rocked-out traditional sea songs and chanteys was produced by Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski. Be warned: these traditional chanteys were written for salty sailors, and have the salty language to match!
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Swashbuckling Sea Songs [sound recording]
  Meanwhile, this family-friendly album is just the thing for the younger buccaneers looking for some piratical tunes to sing along to!
• Masters and Commanders [sound recording]
  Includes music from the best seafaring film classics, including "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," and "Pirates of the Caribbean."
• Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, or, The Slave of Duty [sound recording]
  The soundtrack to Gilbert and Sullivan's famous comic opera, about the Pirate King and pirate crew who together raised a boy who was originally intended to be ... a pilot.