Bibliographies of songs can help you select suitable repertoire for study, or for programming a recital. Many are annotated with information such as range, level of difficulty, tempo, and advice on performance and interpretation.
Search for these resources in the Library's catalog using the following subject headings:
You can also find most of them shelved under the call numbers ML128 S3 and ML128 V7. (Check both the Reference room and the main stacks (shelves).)
There are bibliographies, catalogs, and indexes that collect literary works in general categories, and identify musical settings that have been done.
Some examples:
Musical setttings of American poetry.
Musical settings of early and mid-Victorian literature: a catalogue.
Index to poetry in music: a guide to the poetry set as solo songs by 125 major song composers.
Literature for Voice: an index to songs in collections and source book for teachers of singing by
A practical and useful reference book for students and teachers, it shows in musical notation the key and range of over 1,700 songs in 60 of the most popular and available song collections. If a song is available in more than one range, all keys and ranges are shown.
From Studio to Stage: Repertoire for the Voice by
The repertoire files of the late Dr. Barbara Doscher, noting her tips, observations on each particular piece, and how to best teach it, comprise a unique trove of wisdom. Transcribed and annotated by John Nix, one of Doscher's students, this is a companion volume to her text, The Functional Unity of the Singing Voice.
Repertoire for the Solo Voice by
A fully annotated guide to works for the solo voice published in modern editions and covering material from the 13th century to the present
A Singer's Guide to the American Art Song by
Probably the most comprehensive work on the American art song ever available, this book considers the lives and contributions of 144 significant composers in the field, including many for whom information has been extremely scarce. Most composers' entries consist of a biographical sketch; a brief discussion of his or her song writing characteristics (with emphasis on performers' concerns); a partial or complete listing of annotated songs; recording information; and the composer's individual bibliography.
Women Composers by
A checklist of works for the solo voice.
Recent American Art Song by
A reference source devoted to songs with English texts by American composers, written for solo voice and piano. The first book to focus exclusively on art song since 1980, a substantial period largely ignored by scholars.
If you're researching a particular poet, etc., whose work has been set to music, try the following strategies:
[Author's name] -- Musical settings.
These can be searched in the Library's catalog using the following subject headings:
Examples:
Greene, Don. Audition success.
Baskerville, David. Music business handbook & career guide.
Hines, Jerome. The four voices of man.
Miller, Richard. On the art of singing.
Periodical: Classical singer.
If you're a voice major, chances are you'll spend a large part of your professional career teaching. The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) provides support in this area.
