Voice 

All of the following resources can be found in the Music Library's Reference section.

Bagnoli, Giorgio. The La Scala Encyclopedia of the Opera. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. ML102 .O6 L14 1993

Boldrey, Richard. Guide to Operatic Duets. Dallas: Pst, 1994. ML102 .O6 B652 1994

Boldrey, Richard. Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias. Dallas: Pst, 1994. ML102 .O6 B653 1994

Griffel, Margaret Ross. Operas in English: A Dictionary. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. ML102 .O6 G74 1999

Hishack, Thomas S. American Musical Theatre Song Encyclopedia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995. ML102 .M88 H59 1995

Kuhn, Laura Diane. Baker's Dictionary of Opera. New York: Schirmer Books, 2000. ML102 .O6 B26 2000

Slonimsky, Nicolas, ed. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. ML 105 .B126 2001 v.1-6

Stone, Les. St. James Opera Encyclopedia: A Guide to People and Works. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 1997. ML102 .O6 S7 1997

Wlaschin, Ken. Encyclopedia of American Opera. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2006. ML102 .O6 W53 2006

The following resources can be found in print in the Music Library's Reference section or online.

Emmons, Shirley. Researching the Song: A Lexicon. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. ML102 .S6 E46 2006 or online through netLibrary

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ML100 .N48 2001 or online through Oxford Music Online.

Warrack, John Hamilton. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. ML102.O6 W35 1996 or online through Oxford Reference

Choral Journal
Classical Singer
Journal of Research in Singing
Journal of Singing
Medical Problems of Performing Artists
Opera
Opera News
Opera Quarterly

Other journal articles about the voice and vocal music may be located in RILM, IIMP, JSTOR, and RIPM.

Finding a Score or Recording or Video:

If the song was published individually (not in a collection) and the Music Library owns it, you will find it in the online catalog (ACORN) under the title and composer’s name, but most songs are published in collections that may not be indexed in the catalog. Here are some additional search suggestions:

If the song is part of a larger work (i.e. a song cycle such as Dichterliebe, or an opera such as Don Giovanni), search the online catalog under the title of the larger work, or under the composer’s name and the larger work. For example, "Im Dorfe", by Schubert, is in his cycle Die Winterreise, and can be searched for under both the song title and the collection title.

If you’re not sure of the title, see the composer’s works list at the end of his/her article in Grove Music Online (available from the Music Library’s web site) or you can search the print volumes in the reference section (ML100 .N48 2001). Another useful resource is Appendix B of the New Grove Dictionary of Opera, an index of first lines of arias, duets and other ensembles and choruses from opera (Also in reference: ML102 .O6 N5 1992 vol. 4).

Search Tips:

-It is best to use the Advanced Keyword screen in ACORN.

-Search for the title of the song in the “words anywhere” box. Combine the most distinctive words in the title. Do not search for the title in the “title” box. You won’t find it here.

-In the “type” box, you can limit your search to CD, DVD or Score.

-You do not need to capitalize.

-Use “and” between title keywords and composer’s name.

-In most cases, works are identified by the title in their original language. Thus, Nozze di Figaro is the uniform title for Marriage of Figaro.

-Leave off initial small words such as “a,” “an” and “the” in any language.

Search Examples: amarilli and caccini

                                 gretchen and schubert

                                 mio babbino caro and puccini

                                 nozze and mozart

If you need additional help, please ask a librarian

M - Scores

M 1495, Collections containing both sacred and secular vocal music

M 1500, Operas, musicals (full scores)

M 1503, Operas, musicals (piano/vocal scores)

M 1507, Operatic, musical anthologies/selections

M 1528-29, Duets, trios, etc. for voice and various accompaniments

M 1613, Voice and orchestra or other ensemble

M 1619, Collections of 2 or more composers

M 1619.5, Specific poets

M 1620, Collections of one composer

M 1621, Separate works

M 1621.4, Song cycles

M 1623, Accompaniment of one instrument other than piano

M 1630.18, Popular music collections

M 1669-70, Spirituals

M 2000, Oratorios (full scores)

M 2003, Oratorios (piano/vocal scores)

M 2110, Anthologies (sacred)

M 2112, Collections of one composer (sacred)

M 2113, Separate songs (sacred)

M 2113.4, Song cycles (sacred)

M 2117, Hymnals

ML - Music Literature

ML 49-54, Librettos and translations

ML 128 .S3, Song bibliographies

ML 410, Composer biographies

ML 420, Performer biographies

ML 1700+, Books about opera

ML 2800+, Books about songs

MT - Instruction and Study

MT 820, Books on vocal technique, pedagogy

MT 883, Books on diction

MT 885, Collections of vocalizes

MT 995+, Books on production and performance