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Guide to Robinson Music Library Resources
OPERA
Where to find:
Books and printed music are arranged according to the Library of Congress' Classification System. The library has circulating (stacks) and non-circulating (reference) collections. Each collection is divided in to three sections.
| M | Printed Music/scores (organized by instrumentation/genre) |
| ML | Books about music and musicians |
| MT | Books on music theory, pedagogy, and technique |
The best finding aid is the CIM/Case library catalog. Some important call numbers related to opera are:
| M 1500 | Full scores of operas |
| M 1503 | Vocal scores of operas (piano reductions) |
| M 1507 | Collections of opera excerpts |
| ML 48 | Opera librettos (texts) |
| ML 410 | Biographies of composers and musicians |
| ML 1700 | History of Opera |
Current issues are on the periodical shelves. Request back issues for current year at the circulation desk. Bound periodicals (2002-) are shelved alphabetically by title in the Glass Lounge. Bound periodicals dated before 2002 are located in storage.
- Avant Scene Opera
- Cambridge Opera Journal
- Classical Singer
- Notes (National Opera Association)
- Opera America Newsline
- Opera Journal
- Opera News
- Opera Quarterly
CAREER/AUDITION/COMPETITION RESOURCES
Several periodicals (listed above) provide information about auditions, competitions and job opportunities in opera. See the library guide on Career Resources. Of particular note is the Career Guide for Singers produced by Opera America (Call #: Ref. ML 12 Op2 2000). The library also provides access to Bridge Worldwide Music Connection, an online resource describing performance opportunities, jobs, competitions, festivals and other opportunities in music. Please inquire at the library's circulation desk for login information.
The library has several books that make finding literature and information about opera easy. Because of their usefulness, these resources are shelved in the reference section. This list is not comprehensive. Please take some time to browse the reference section.
Finding Literature: These are excellent resources when you are looking for repertoire. They provide lists of repertoire by voice range, subject, etc. Often they provide additional information about the music (difficulty, range, etc.)
- Repertoire for the Solo Voice (Espina) Ref. ML128.V87Es65r
- Singer's Repertoire (Coffin) Ref. ML128.V87C654s
- Music for the Voice (Kagen) Ref. ML128.V87K119m 1968
- Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias (Boldrey) Ref. ML102.Op2Bo637gr
Finding Music (songs & arias):Many songs and arias are only found in collections. Unfortunately, the library catalog does not index the contents of such collections. This is where a song index is helpful. It will tell you where to find a specific aria, lieder or song. See also Opera & Song Web Resources.
- Song Index (Sears)Ref. ML128.V87Se17
- Songs in Collections (DeCharms)Ref. ML128.V87D356
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias: These resources provide authoritative definitions and information about opera and related topics. Often they include bibliographies. A must see for any paper or project.
- New Grove Dictionary of Opera (online: www.grovemusic.com) Print copy Ref. ML 102 Op2 N42n
- Mellen Opera Reference Index (Parsons) Ref. ML102.Op2P251m
- Guide to Operatic Arias & Roles (Boldrey) Ref. ML102.Op2Bo637gr
- Opera : a research and information guide (Marco) Ref. ML128.Op2 M334op 2001
Libretti: Librettos (opera texts) are located at ML 48 in the reference and circulating collection. They are organized alphabetically by composer. Nico Castel has authored a series of reference books. Each book provides IPA transcriptions and word for word translations for a related group of opera librettos. The following titles in this series are located in the ready reference section at Ref.ML 48. (The following list is not comprehensive). The library also subscribes to IPA Source, the web's largest library of IPA transcriptions and literal translations of opera aria, art song, and Latin liturgical texts.
- Complete Puccini Libretti
- Complete Verdi Libretti
- Four Strauss Opera Libretti
- French Opera Libretti
- Italian Bel Canto Opera Libretti
- Italian Verismo Opera Libretti
- Libretti of Mozart's Completed Operas
Many resources are available online! RILM Music Abstracts, Music Index, and Musical America to name a few. Explore the Research section!