PMU230: Topics in Vocal Performance
There are a number of great sources at the UTL to help you in your studies. This short, curated list of resources will help you get started on role study research.
Composer-Related Research
Biographical details as well as the social and political contexts of a composer's life can provide indications about how the composer and librettist intended the work to be produced and its historical, social and political meanings.
History Textbooks are a great source for background information. Here are two examples:
A History of Western Music by Call Number: ML160 .G87 2010Burkholder, J. Peter, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. 8th ed. New York: Norton, 2010. (Reference)
Oxford History of Western Music by Call Number: ML160 .T28 2005Taruskin, Richard. Oxford History of Western Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. (Online)
Composer Biographies:
Composer biographies are found in the ML410 section of the library and they are ordered alphabetically. Just browse by composer's last name! Here are two examples:
Puccini by Call Number: ML410 .P89 B83 2002Budden, Julian. Puccini: His Life and Works. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. (Stacks or Online)
Mozart by Call Number: ML410 .M9 R87 2006Rushton, Julian. Mozart. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. (Stacks or Online)
Encyclopedias:
- Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new windowContains articles on almost every aspect of western music history, with extensive entries on composers, genres, places, operas, and subjects.
- Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new windowThis source includes brief entries on various people, places, genres, and other subjects similar to Oxford Music, BUT also includes curated and up-to-date bibliographies with annotations to help you choose the most helpful materials for your area of study.