Begin your research using reference resources to get an overview of a topic, definitions, authoritative names in the subject field, major dates or timelines, bibliographies leading to additional resources, and keywords or vocabulary terms to use for database searching.
Different types of reference sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, companions and handbooks.
"A collection of songs from the musical stage, categorized by voice type. The selections are presented in their authentic setting, excerpted from the original vocal scores." There are multiple volumes for each voice type. Contents: Soprano (5 v.) -- Mezzo-soprano/Alto (1 v.) -- Mezzo Soprano/Belter (3 v.) -- Tenor (5 v.) -- Baritone/Bass (5 v.) -- Duets (2 v.)
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The Cambridge companion to opera studies by
With its powerful combination of music and theatre, opera is one of the most complex and yet immediate of all art forms. Once opera was studied only as 'a stepchild of musicology', but in the past two decades opera studies have experienced an explosion of energy with the introduction of new approaches drawn from disciplines such as social anthropology and performance studies to media theory, genre theory, gender studies and reception history. Written by leading scholars in opera studies today, this Companion offers a wide-ranging guide to a rapidly expanding field of study and new ways of thinking about a rich and intriguing art form, placing opera back at the centre of our understanding of Western culture over the past 400 years. This book gives lovers of opera as well as those studying the subject a comprehensive approach to the many facets of opera in the past and today.
Historical dictionary of the Broadway musical by
The Broadway musical has greatly influenced both American and world culture. Shows such as Oklahoma and Annie Get Your Gun are as American as apple pie, while the long runs of imports such as Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Les Mis rables have broken records. Shows filled with rock and pop music such as Mamma Mia and Wicked enthrall audiences, and revivals of beloved shows play an important role in contemporary Broadway culture. Actors Ethel Merman, Yul Brynner, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, and Audra McDonald; composers and lyricists Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Jeanine Tesori; and directors and choreographers George Abbott, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Tommy Tune, and Susan Stroman--to name only a few--have gained national and international recognition by way of the Broadway musical stage. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Broadway Musical contains a chronology, an introduction, an appendix, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1000 cross-referenced entries on Broadway shows, composers, playwrights, directors, producers, designers, actors, and theatres. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Broadway musicals.
The Musical: a research and information guide by
First large-scale annotated bibliography of this subject and covers the 'Broadway' musical as well as the film musical and musical styles around the world.
The new Broadway song companion : an annotated guide to musical theatre literature by voice type and song style by
This is a completely revised and expanded second edition of The Broadway Song Companion, the first complete guide and access point to the vast literature of the Broadway musical for the solo performer. Designed with the working actor in mind, the volume lists every song from over 300 Broadway shows, including at least 90 more than the first edition. Organized by show, each song is annotated with the name of the character(s) who sing(s) the song, the vocal range, and a style category, such as uptempo, narrative ballad, swing ballad, moderate character piece, etc. Several indexes are supplied, organizing the songs by voice type (soprano, baritone, etc.) and song style, vocal arrangement (duets, trios, chorus, etc.), and composer and lyricist, allowing increased access to the repertoire. For instance, a soprano looking for a ballad to sing will find every song in that category in the index. All solos, duets, and trios are indexed in this manner, with quartets and larger ensembles listed by voice type. Furthermore, the instant breakdowns (how many lead characters, who sings what song, and the range requirements of each character) will be a valuable resource to directors and producers.
The Oxford handbook of the American musical by
The Oxford Handbook of The American Musical offers new and cutting-edge essays on the most important and compelling issues and topics in the growing, interdisciplinary field of musical-theater and film-musical studies. Taking the form of a "keywords" book, it introduces readers to the concepts and terms that define the history of the musical as a genre and that offer ways to reflect on the specific creative choices that shape musicals and their performance on stage and screen. The handbook offers a cross-section of essays written by leading experts in the field, organized within broad conceptual groups, which together capture the breadth, direction, and tone of musicals studies today. Each essay traces the genealogy of the term or issue it addresses, including related issues and controversies, positions and problematizes those issues within larger bodies of scholarship, and provides specific examples drawn from shows and films. Essays both re-examine traditional topics and introduce underexplored areas. Reflecting the concerns of scholars and students alike, the authors emphasize critical and accessible perspectives, and supplement theory with concrete examples that may be accessed through links to the handbook's website. Taking into account issues of composition, performance, and reception, the book's contributors bring a wide range of practical and theoretical perspectives to bear on their considerations of one of America's most lively, enduring artistic traditions. The Oxford Handbook of The American Musical will engage all readers interested in the form, from students to scholars to fans and aficionados, as it analyses the complex relationships among the creators, performers, and audiences who sustain the genre.
The Oxford handbook of the operatic canon by
This collection examines the phenomenon of the operatic canon: its formation, history, current ontology and practical influence, and future. It does so by taking an international and interdisciplinary view: the workshops from which it was derived included the participation of critics, producers, artistic directors, stage directors, opera company CEOs, and even economists, from the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Italy, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Canada. The volume is structured as a series of dialogues: each subtopic is addressed by two essays, introduced jointly by the authors, and followed by a jointly compiled list of further reading. These paired essays complement each other in different ways, for example by treating the same geographical location in different periods, by providing different national or regional perspectives on the same period, or by thinking through similar conceptual issues in contrasting milieus. Part I consists of a selection of surveys of operatic production and consumption contexts in France, Italy, Germany, England, Russia, and the Americas, arranged in rough order from the late seventeenth century to the late nineteenth century. Part II is a (necessarily) limited sample of subjects that illuminate the operatic canon from different-sometimes intentionally oblique-angles, ranging from the influence of singers to the contiguous genres of operetta and musical theater, and the effects of recording and broadcast over almost 150 years. The volume concludes with two essays written by prominent figures from the opera industry who give their sense of the operatic canon's evolution and prospects
Routledge Guide to Broadway: REF PN2277 .N5B43 2007
An A to Z guide to Broadway theatre, focusing on key performers, writers, directors, plays, and musicals.
Show Time: A Chronology of Broadway and the Theatre from Its Beginnings to the Present: REF PN2277 .N5B69 1997
The Canadian Encyclopedia, updated online by Historica Canada, includes the former Encyclopedia of music in Canada, still the most authoritative first point of reference for researching the music of Canada. Search musical theatre as a topic, or musicals or performers by name.
Continuum encyclopedia of popular music of the world. Music Ref. ML102 .P66 C66 11 vols.
Oxford Reference Online - Performing Arts