Literary Links | Period Acting Style |
Historical Costume Sources
| Stage Combat | Period Set Design | Ballet and Period Dance |
Oberlin Historical Research
Bibliography
Literary Links
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet
Before Otello there was Othello. Before Romeo et
Juliette there was Romeo and Juliet. Discover the world of the
Bard, read his complete works, or research the Globe.
Norse Mythology
Der Ring des Niebelungen weaves a complex tale spanning four operas
and a few generations. Who can really keep all of those Norse gods
straight? Before you crack your score, make sure that you know who's who.
Greek Mythology Link
Singing opera seria? Then you probably are involved in a tale from
Greek mythology. This reference site has everything you need to fully
understand the world of Greek gods, monsters, and mortals.
Dramatis
Personae: Greek Dramatic and Mythological Characters in Opera (Printable
PDF file)
A massive listing of Greek Dramatic and Mythological characters found in
opera written by Oberlin professor Victoria Vaughan. An alphabetical
listing by character name that also contains alphabetical details of composers,
date of composition and title of opera, with supporting notes where available.
Information on source texts, principal authors, and other works, as well as a
bibliography. Note:
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The Sandman
A short story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, subject of Offenbach's Les Contes
d'Hoffmann.
Operas,
Musicals, and Their Sources
Found within a mezzo-soprano's personal homepage, this resource explores the
literary roots of operas. Thorough bibliographies of certain stories can
also be found (i.e. Faust and Don Juan). To find this
resource click the link above and scroll down the page a bit.
Don Giovanni in
Literature
A collection of eleven complete e-texts of the Don Juan story found in
classical literature.
La Dame Aux
Camelias
An English translation of the complete text the Alexandre Dumas novel that
would later become the basis of La Traviata.
Manon Lescaut
The complete text of the Abbe Prevost's novella about the life the young
Manon. This work is the basis for Puccini's Manon Lescaut and
Massenet's Manon.
Commedia
dell'Arte: Italian Mask Theatre of the Renaissance
A look at Commedia dell'Arte and it's characters. A resource for performers
interested in slapstick, pantomime, physical theatre and improvisation.
Lazzi
A short illustrated guide of lazzi, the physical comedy of commedia
dell'arte. These sight gags went on to become the slapstick of today.
The
Language of the Fan
An interesting page covering the subtle language of the handheld fan.
Compiled by a fan manufacturer, this page is a great reference for much of the
late Classical and Romantic era operas.
The History of
Costume
The on-line version of The History of Costume as published by Braun
and Schneider in the late 19th century. The full text and image plates are
available to view.
The Costume Page
A listing of over 2,000 costume-related links, including costume history and
a costume museum.
Milieux- The Costume Site
A thorough listing of historical costume resources from "Ancient
Egyptian robes" to "What is a codpiece."
The Costume Gallery
This site's "Library" contains reference materials of great
scope. Three reference "shelves" include fashion articles,
costume portfolios, and period resources.
Medieval Clothing
Background, illustrations, and instructions regarding many facets of
medieval costume. Although intended for costumers, this site is invaluable
to students interested in studying the period or creating their own medieval
garb.
Elizabethan
Costume
Everything you ever wanted to know about clothing in the Elizabethan
Era. Articles on underclothes, dress patterns, and hats only hint at the completeness
of this site. Great pictures and diagrams accompany most of the text.
The
Society of American Fight Directors
The main organization in the US promoting safe
stage combat in theater. While it would be nice to be able to learn stage
combat from a web site, such a site is rare. The SAFD's site, however, contains
information about modern stage combat training standards, the group's history,
and combat links.
Glossary
of Stage Combat Terms
The terminology of Stage Combat, according to the SAFD.
Stage Blood Recipes
For that added touch of realism to any opera, just add a little stage
blood. These relatively simple recipes are good enough (and safe enough)
to eat.
Giacomo
di Grassi: His True Arte of Defence
The complete text of a 16th century fencing manual.
The History of Stage Design and Lighting
Brief, yet informative articles discussing the development of theatrical
design from Ancient Greece to the twentieth century.
Period
and Style for Designers
This is a superb
collection of images used by Hugh Lester of Tulane University in his courses for
designers. Covering mainly buildings with some decorations and furniture, they
are arranged by period. These include English Medieval, Early Gothic, English
Gothic, and English Renaissance.
Renaissance Dance
Here you will find information on everything to do with European dance from
the 15th to early 17th centuries. A very complete listing of resources on
period dance.
Dance History
Artslynx.org's dance links page with a large section devoted to dance
history. Find links for the history of pointe shoes, a ballet timeline, a
history of Chinese dance, along with many other items.
Classical Ballet- A History of the Art
A brief explanation of the history of ballet accompanied by many useful links
for further study.
Historical
Dance on the Internet
Links to historical dance resources on the internet. Part of the
Institute for Historical Dance's homepage.
Oberlin Historical Research Bibliography
Bibliography: Historical Research (Web page)
Bibliography: Historical Research
(Printable PDF file)
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