Researching the Song:A LexiconSingers are faced with a unique challenge among musicians: they must express not just the music, but the lyrics too. To effectively communicate the meaning behind these words, singers must understand the many references embedded in the vast international repertoire of great art songs. They must deal with the meaning of the lyrics, frequently in a language not their own and of a culture unfamiliar to them. From Zelter and Schubert to Rorem and Musto, Researching the Song serves as an invaluable guide for performers, teachers, and enthusiasts to the art song repertoire. 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. The more performers know and understand the literary elements of a song, the richer their communication will be. Researching the Song is a vital aid for singers and teachers in interpreting art songs and building song recital programs. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 31
Page 6
... Zeus decreed that Adonis should spend six months of the year in the underworld with Persephone and the other six with Aphrodite in the upper world . The myth and ritual of Adonis , with the weeping for the slain youth and the joy at his ...
... Zeus decreed that Adonis should spend six months of the year in the underworld with Persephone and the other six with Aphrodite in the upper world . The myth and ritual of Adonis , with the weeping for the slain youth and the joy at his ...
Page 7
... Zeus appointed him keeper of the winds , which were held in vast caves . Aeolus gave Odysseus a bag of winds to help him on his voyage homeward , but Odysseus's men opened the bag and the winds escaped . ( SOURCE : Kaster ...
... Zeus appointed him keeper of the winds , which were held in vast caves . Aeolus gave Odysseus a bag of winds to help him on his voyage homeward , but Odysseus's men opened the bag and the winds escaped . ( SOURCE : Kaster ...
Page 18
... Zeus as he grew up in the forests of Mount Ida . Amaltheia was a wondrous animal whose aspect terrified even the immortals . In gratitude Zeus later placed her among the constellations . To the * nymphs he gave one of her horns and made ...
... Zeus as he grew up in the forests of Mount Ida . Amaltheia was a wondrous animal whose aspect terrified even the immortals . In gratitude Zeus later placed her among the constellations . To the * nymphs he gave one of her horns and made ...
Page 19
... Zeus ( Jupiter ) and * Antiope , queen of * Thebes . Exposed at birth on Mt. Cithaeron by the usurping King Lycus and his wife Dirce , Amphion and his twin brother Zethus , when grown up , marched against * Thebes and con- quered it ...
... Zeus ( Jupiter ) and * Antiope , queen of * Thebes . Exposed at birth on Mt. Cithaeron by the usurping King Lycus and his wife Dirce , Amphion and his twin brother Zethus , when grown up , marched against * Thebes and con- quered it ...
Page 27
... Zeus and Leto , primarily the god of proph- ecy , whose shrine and oracle at Delphi were famous throughout the ancient world . Apollo was the patron of poetry and music , leader of the * Muses . As prophet , he was the patron of ...
... Zeus and Leto , primarily the god of proph- ecy , whose shrine and oracle at Delphi were famous throughout the ancient world . Apollo was the patron of poetry and music , leader of the * Muses . As prophet , he was the patron of ...
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Common terms and phrases
American poet ballads beautiful became Benjamin Britten Benjamin Britten POET born Brahms Carl Loewe century Claude Debussy Colby collection composed by Henry COMPOSER Benjamin Britten COMPOSER Francis Poulenc critic daughter death details and placement Drabble drama dramatist Elkanah Settle English poet Fairie-Queene father Francis Poulenc Francis Poulenc POET Franz Schubert French poet Friedrich Gabriel Fauré George German poet Goethe Greek Henry Purcell Hugo Wolf Italian Jesus John Dryden Kunitz later legend literary literature lived married mother Ned Rorem novel novelist Paris Paul Paul Verlaine Peter placement of songs play playwright plot details poems poet POET William poetic poetry was set popular PRINCIPAL prose published Richard Robert romantic Rorem Russian SAINT Schubert set Schumann Scot SELECTED READING semi-opera singing SONG COMPOSER POET SOURCE Spanish Steinberg story studied Thomas Thomas D'Urfey trans translated University Verlaine verse William Soutar Wolfgang words writing written wrote Zeus
References to this book
Singing and Communicating in English: A Singer's Guide to English Diction Kathryn LaBouff Limited preview - 2007 |