Bibliography of Tools and Resources for Singers
This bibliography is a work in progress. It is not complete, but there are many resources. Some of the entries
contain the library of congress catalogue number, but not all. Not all of these books are available in your
library, but all can be gotten by interlibrary loan.
History/Criticism
Banfield, Stephen. Sensibility and the English Song.
History of the development of English song. Necessary resource for program notes and background
information.
Fischer-Dieskau. Schubert's Songs: A Biblographical Study.
A masterly study of the genesis and development of the songs, revealed in terms of the composer's own life.
Hall, James Husst. The Art Song.
Ivy, Donald. Song: Anatomy, Imagery and Styles.
Noske, Frits. French Song From Berlioz to Duparc.
Describes and analyzes the French melodies of Berlioz, Gounod, Saint-Saens, Faure, Duparc and 13 others, with
comprehensive song listings for each composer.
Reed, John. The Schubert Song Companion.
History and criticism of Schubert's songs.
Stevens, Denis. A History of Song.
A comprehensive guide to song literature from the troubadours to the present. Russia, Latin America,
Scandinavia and the United States are highlighted.
Whitton, Kenneth S. Lieder: An Introduction to German Song.
Invaluable tool for program notes and background information for this body of literature.
Translations/Interpretation - General
Bernac, Pierre. The Interpretation of French Song.
The standard work on its subject, with French texts of nearly 200 songs, line for line verse translations, notes on
pronunciation and simple but detailed suggestions for performance.
Cockburn. Jacqueline, and Richard Stokes. The Spanish Song Companion. 1992. Ref. ML54.6 .C66 1992.
Emmons, Shirlee and Wilbur Watkins Lewis. Researching the Song : A Lexicon
Oxford University Press, USA 2006 ISBN: 0195152026. This is a book I wish I had had as a student. From the
Amazon.com review: "Its more than 2,000 carefully researched entries supply information on most of the
mythological, historical, geographical, and literary references contained in western art song. The authors explain
the meaning of less familiar literary terms, figures, and authors referenced in song while placing songs in the
context of larger literary sources. Readers will find entries dealing with art songs from the German, French,
Italian, Russian, Spanish, South American, Greek, Finnish, Scandinavian, and both American and British
English repertoires. Sources, narratives, and explanations of major song cycles are also given. Organized
alphabetically, the lexicon includes brief biographies of poets, lists of composers who set each poet's work,
bibliographic materials, and brief synopses of major works from which song texts were taken, including the
plots of all Restoration theater works containing Purcell's vocal music."
Erbelding, Dietrich. Translations of 106 French Poems Set to Music by French Composers. 1990.
Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich. The Fischer-Diskau Book of Lieder.
Original texts of more than 750 songs chosen and introduced by the author, with new English translations by
George Bird and Richard Stokes.
Jeffers, Ron. Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire. Vol.1.. Sacred Latin Texts. 1988. Ref. ML54.2
.J43 T6.
Lakeway, Ruth C. and Robert C. White, Jr. Italian Art Song.
A comprehensive study of 20th century Italian art song complete with translations and interpretive suggestions.
LeVan, Timothy. Masters of the French Art Song: Translations of the Complete Songs of
Chausson, Debussy Duparc, Faure' & Ravel. 1991. Ref. ML54.6 .M422.
LeVan, Timothy. Masters of the Italian Art Song: Word-by- Word and Poetic Translations of the Complete
Songs for Voice and Piano. 1990. Ref. ML54.6 .M42.
Includes:Bellini, Donaudy, Donizetti, Puccini, Rossini, Tosti, Verdi.
Liebling, Estelle. The Aria, Renaissance and Baroque. 1963. Backlog ABC848 1. Based on Arie antiche.
Meister, Barbara. An Introducton to the Art Song.
Meister, Barbara. Nineteenth-Century French Song.
A comprehensive study of the entire body of solo songs by Faure, Chausson, Duparc and Debussy.
Miller, Philip Lieson. German Lieder. 1990. Ref ML54.6 .G35.
Miller, Philip L. The Ring of Words: An Anthology of Song Texts. 1963. Ref. ML54.6 MS R5 1973. Over 300
art songs of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Norway, and Sweden with line-by-line English translations.
Moore, Gerald. Poet's Love: The Songs and Cycles of Schumann.
Moore, Gerald. The Schubert Song Cycles.
Thoughts on performance from the distinguished accompanist. Examines each of the 58 songs in the three
Schubert song cycles, "Die Schone Mullerin," "Winterreise" and "Schwanengesang."
Moore, Gerald. Singer and Accompanist: The Performance of Fifty Songs.
Piatak, Jean, & Regina Avrashov. Russian Songs & Arias: Phonetic Readings, Word-by-Word Translations,
anda Concise Guide to Russian Diction. 1991. Ref. ML54.6 .P57R8.
Phillips, Lois. Lieder Line by Line and Word for Word.
Prawer, S. S. The Penguin Book of Lieder.
Line-by-line English translations of much of the standard repertoire of German lied.
Richardson, Dorothy, & Tina Ruta. Arie antiche. 1990. ML54.6 .A75.
Sobrer, Josep Miquel, & Edmon Colomer. The Singer's Anthology of 2oth Century Spanish Songs. 1987. Ref.
ML54.6
Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias.
To assist English-speaking singers in the interpretations of art songs and opera arias in foreign languages.
Part I German and French--Coffin, Singer, Delattre
Part II Italian--Schoep and Harris
Translations/Interpretation - Specific Composers
Bach
Ambrose, Z. Philip. Texte zu den Kirchenkantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach = The Texts to Johann Sebastian
Bach's Church Cantatas. 1984. ML54 .B15 C32.
Drinker, Henry S. Texts of the Choral Works of Johann Sebastian Bach in English Translation, 4 vols. including
index and concordance. 1942-43. Ref. ML49 .B2 D7.
Brahms
Drinker, Henry S. Texts of the Vocal Works of Johannes Brahms in English Translation. 1945. Ref. ML49 .B8
D7.
Sams, Eric. Brahms Songs.
Concise description of the songs in easy-to-understand language.
Debussy
Cobb, Margaret G. & Richard Miller. The Poetic Debussy: A Collection ofHis Song Texts and Selected Letters.
2nd ed. 1994. Backlog AEB5082.
Rohinsky, Marie-Claire. The Singer's Debussy. 1987. Ref. ML54.6 .D57 R62.
Rachmaninoff
Challis, Natalia. The Singer's Rachmaninoff 1989. Ref. ML54.6 .R18 552.
Schubert
Garran, Robert Randoph. Schubert and Schumann: Songs and Translations. 1946. Ref. ML54.6 .S38 G23.
Minchin, Leslie. More Schubert in English: Singing Translations: A Collection of8O New Song Texts. 1988.
Backlog AAP317O.
Wigmore, Richard. Schubert: The Complete Song Texts. Texts of the Lieder and Italian Songs with English
Translations. 1988. Ref. ML54.6 .S38 W52.
Schumann
Drinker, Henry S. Texts of the Vocal Works of Robert Schumann in English Translation. 1947. Ref. ML49
.S38.
Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich. Robert Schumann: Words and Music.
Garran, Robert Randolph. Schubert and Schumann: Songs and Translations. 1946. Ref. ML54.6 .538 G23.
Reinhard, Thilo. The Singer's Schumann. 1989. Ref. ML54.6 .S4 R41.
Sams, Eric. The Songs of Robert Schumann.
Thoroughly researched, full-length study of the 246 songs including translations, commentary and notes on
particularly interesting details.
Schütz
Drinker, Henry S. English Texts to the Vocal Works of Heinrich Schütz. 1952. Ref ML 54.6 .S3 D7.
Wolf
Sams, Eric. The Songs of Hugo Wolf.
Thorough treatment of this body of work complete with translations.
Diction
Coffin, Berton. Phonetic Readings of Songs and Arias.
Authentic pronunciation of 413 Italian, German and French lyrics in International Phonetic Alphabet
transcriptions.
Challis, N. The Singer's Rachmaninoff.
Collection of songs with International Phonetic Alphabet for Russian in the introductory pages.
Colorni, Evelina. Singers' Italian: Manual of Diction and Phonetics.
Cox, Richard. Singer's Manual of German and French Diction.
Hines, Robert S. Singer's Manual of Latin: Diction and Phonetics.
Grubb, Thomas. Singing in French.
Manual of dicton and catalogue of vocal repertoire. Help on how to phoneticize the text and apply diction
techniques to recitative.
Kenyon, John S. and Thomas A. Knott. A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English.
A guide to pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Marshall, Madeleine. The Singer's Manual of English Diction.
Moriarty, John. Diction: Italian, Latin, French, German.
Comprehensive guide to the diction of four languages with 81 practical exercises for vocalization. A
comparative approach based on the International Phonetic Alphabet and especially designed for American
singers.
Uris, Dorothy. To Sing in English. How to sing the sounds of English, its structure, sense and stress. Liberal
use of musical examples and exercises for perfecting diction.
Wall, Joan. Diction for Singers.
A concise reference for English, Italian, Latin, German, French and Spanish pronunciation.
Wall, Joan. IPA for Singers.
A reference for learning how to use the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Repertoire/Technique/Performing Skills/Performance Practice
Balk, H. Wesley. The Complete Singer-Actor.
Innovative approach to preparing performers for music theatre. Theory, skills and excercises reflecting Balk's
conviction that music theatre, whether grand opera or musical comedy, requires an effective, total integration of
acting and singing.
Balk, H. Wesley. Performing Power.
Second volume of Balk's trilogy.
Balk, H. Wesley. The Radiant Performer.
Third and final volume of Balk's trilogy of performing technique for the singer-actor.
Coffin, Berton. The Singer's Repetoire.
Distribution of some 8000 songs into 818 lists. Aids for program building, for training repertoire, for specific or
seasonal occasions and in sacred repertoire.
Part I Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano
Part II Mezzo-Soprano and Contralto
Part IIILyric and Dramatic Tenor
Part IVBaritone and Bass
Part V Program Notes
Emmons, Shirlee and Stanley Sontag. The Art of the Song Recital.
A practical "how-to" book on every facet of the recital: program-building, techniques for study and
memorization, repetoire lists for voice with instruments, duets, trios, quartets and cycles.
Elliot, Martha. Singing in Style: A Guide to Vocal Performance Practices. Yale University Press, 2006. ISBN:
0300109326. This appears to be a very useful book. From the Amazon.com review: "Singing In Style provides
an introduction to how such issues as ornamentation, vibrato, rubato, portamento, articulation, tempo, language,
and accompaniment with period instruments have been handled since the seventeenth century. Each chapter
presents a historical period and gives background information on the singers and composers, the vocal
repertoire, and the stylistic conventions of that time. Specific repertoire examples are discussed as well, to show
how to use the music itself as a context for making stylistic choices. Each chapter also has an extensive
reference list arranged by topic, so the interested reader can pursue a particular subject in more depth."
Espina, Noni. Repertoire for the Solo Voice.
A fully annotated guide to some 10,000 works for the solo voice published in modern editions and covering
material from the 13th century to the present.
Green, Barry with W. Timothy Gallwey. The Inner Game of Music.
Based on the principals set out by Gallwey for athletes, this book is designed to help musicians overcome
obstacles, improve concentration and reduce nervousness in performance.
Miller, Richard S. The Structure of Singing.
One of the standard reference works on vocal technique.
Papolos, Janice. The Performing Artist's Handbook.
Practical suggestions for developing a performing career.
Reid, Cornelius L. A Dictonary of Vocal Terminology.
Over 1,200 terms analyzed for singers, teahcers, librarians and musicologists.
Ristad, Eloise. A Soprano on Her Head.
Discusses the problems of nervous energy and/or nervousness in performance, mental obstacles in performance
and practice, and ideas for overcoming them.
Vennard, William. Singing: The Mechanism and the Technique.
Mechanistic approach, filled with charts, diagrams and pictures. Includes an extensive glossary of terms.
General Musical Reference
New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
The most complete musical reference out there. Contains thousands of scholarly articles on everything from
composers to musical instruments.
New Grove Dictionary of Opera.
Similar to the Grove Dictionaries, only with the emphasis on opera.
Slonimsky, Nicolas. Concise Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (8th Ed.)
Especially useful for 20th Century composers.
Randel, Don Michael. New Harvard Dictionary of Music.
Great reference.
Websites
http://babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn This website will translate texts into English from French, German,
Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. It will also translate some of these
languages into others besides English. In order to get accurate translations, you must use diacriticals found in
the original language. This website gets around that problem by providing a "world keyboard" icon. To use this
feature, click on the "world keyboard" icon and a drop-down menu will be provided of the various languages.
While the translations are not perfect, they will be a very good start for you as you translate your pieces.
http://www.nats.org This is the official website of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. It has some
terrific links for singers.
http://www.lib.washington.edu/music/arias.html This website lists the contents of many vocal anthologies. A
good resource if you are looking for an edition of a particular song. It is still under construction.
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/ This website has texts and translations of many art song and lieder.
© 2006 Elizabeth Pauly