Synopses, Text and Translation Bibliography

Synopses 

Bourne, Joyce.  Who's Who in Opera: a Guide to Opera.  Oxford: New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.  Ref ML102 .O6 B68 1998

                Alphabetized catalog of roles, operas, and opera professionals.

Cross, Milton John.  More Stories of the Great Operas.  Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday, 1971.  Ref MT95 .C77

            Detailed plot summaries from the primary canon of Western opera.  Alphabetized by title.

Cross, Milton John.   The New Milton Cross' [sic] More Stories of the Great Operas. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, c1980. Ref MT95 .C77 1980

                Sequel to Cross's More Stories of the Great Operas, this time from the secondary canon, including the occasional twentieth-century opera.    Alphabetized by title.

 Earl of Harewood, ed.  The New Kobbe's Opera Book.  New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1997. Ref MT95 .K52 1997

                Revised edition of Gustav Kobbe's The Definitive Kobbe's Opera Book.  Includes bibliographical references and index.

Eaton, Quaintance.  Opera Production, a Handbook.  Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press [1961-74]. Ref MT955 .E25 vols. 1-2

 Vol.2 includes Production problems of Handel's operas, by  Randolph Mickelson.

Fellner, Rudolph.  Opera Themes and Plots.  New York: Simon and Schuster, 1958. Ref MT95 .F4

Preface by Erich Leinsdorf. "The purpose of this book is to present ... the essential materials of thirty-two operas ... the musical material in general on the left-hand page, the corresponding dramatic materials on the right."

Freeman, John W.  The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas.  New York: Metropolitan Opera Guild: W.W. Norton, c1984. Ref MT95 .M49 1984 vols. 1-2

                Detailed plot summaries from the primary canon of Western opera.  Alphabetized by composer.

Lazarus, John.  The Opera Handbook.  Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall, [1990], c1987.  Ref MT95 .L5 1990

                "First published by Longman Group UK Limited"--T.P. verso.  Includes bibliographical references (p. 229) and index.

Studwell, William E.  Opera Plot Index.  New York: Garland, 1990.  Ref ML128 .O4 S8 1990

                A guide to finding plot summaries for operas, operettas, and musicals.

Wagner, Heinz.  Das Grosse Handbuch der Oper.  Wilhelmshaven: F. Noetzel, c1991. Ref MT95 .W252 1991

                Includes bibliographical references (p. 855) and indices.

Text and Translations--Opera

Burden, Michael.  Henry Purcell's Operas: the Complete Texts.  Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.  ML49 .P8 B87 2000

                Includes bibliographical references (p. [519]-528)

Castel, Nico.  The Libretti of Mozart's Completed Operas.  Geneseo, N.Y.: Leyerle, c1997-1998.  ML49.M83 C37 1997 vol. 1-2

                Two volumes.  Comprises International Phonetic Alphabet transcriptions, word for word translations, including a guide to the I.P.A. and notes on the Italian and German transcriptions by Nico Castel.  Foreword by Julius Rudel; illustrations by Eugene Green.

Castel, Nico.  The Complete Puccini Libretti.  Geneseo,  NY: Leyerle, c1993-1994.  ML49.P75 C38 1993 v.1-2

                Includes transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and word-for-word translations. Also contains a guide to using IPA and notes on the Italian transcriptions.  No index.

Castel, Nico.  The Complete Verdi Libretti.  Geneseo, NY: Leyerle,  c1994-1995.  ML49.V484 1994 v.1-2

                Includes transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and word-for-word translations. Also contains a guide to using IPA and notes on the Italian transcriptions.  No index.

Cioffari, Angelina Grimaldi.  Italian Operatic Arias.  Waban, MA: by the author,  1951.  ML54.6 .C5 1951

                Contains 64 arias from 19 operas of the standard repertoire (8 composers represented).  Setting, text, and translations of selected words or phrases are given for each aria.  Complete translations are not given, but this volume is useful for definitions of idiomatic expressions.  Table of contents, no index. 

Coffin, Berton, Werner Singer and Pierre Delattre.  Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias.  Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1972 & 1966.  Ref ML54.6 .W65 

                Selected texts from a broad range of art songs, organized alphabetically by composer.  Each line of text underlaid with literal translations and paraphrases in English.  Index of titles and first lines. Two volumes, the first containing French and German texts, the second containing Italian texts.

Magner, Candace A.  Phonetic Readings of Brahms Lieder. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1987.  MT883 .M23 1987

Gives a comprehensive pronunciation guide to Brahms lieder in readable International Phonetic Alphabet.

Piatak, Jean and Regina Avrashov.  Russian Songs and Arias.  Dallas: Pst...Inc., 1991.  Ref ML54.6 .P56 1991

This volume is divided into two sections;  the first part is a concise guide to Russian diction, while the second contains phonetic readings and word-by-word translations of Russian songs and arias. Includes information about composers and indices to titles and first lines.

 Sabor, Rudolph.  Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen: Companion Volume.  London: Phaidon, c1997.  ML410 .W14 S32 1997

                Includes discography (p. 227-237), videography (p. 238-239), bibliographical references (p. 223-226), and index.

Wagner, Richard.  The Ring of the Nibelung.   New York: W.W. Norton, 1977.  ML50 .W14 R325 1977

                Introduction and complete German text to the opera with English translation by Andrew Porter. 

Text and Translations--Operetta and Musical Theatre

Ayre, Leslie.  The Gilbert and Sullivan Companion  New York: Dodd, Mead, 1972.  ML410 .S95 A9

                Alphabetical  arrangement of entries including songs, opera, characters, references to people, places and things in the lyrics,  real people asociated with Gilbert  and Sullivan, actors and singers, etc.  Entries for the operas are extensive, including plot explication and lyrics for every songs.  Excellent reference source. 

Gershwin, Ira.  Lyrics on Several Occasions.  New York: Knopf, 1959.  ML54.6 .G28 L9

                Selected stage and screen lyrics by the author, with anecdotes and index.

Hammerstein, Oscar.  Lyrics. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Books, 1985.  ML54.6 .H35 1985

Hart, Dorothy.  Thou Swell, Thou Witty: the Life and Lyrics of Lorenz Hart  New York: Harper & Row, 1975.  ML432 .H32 H4

                This is for reading, not for quick reference, but it does contain all the lyrics of Hart’s songs, interspersed with his life’s story.  Chronological listing of his plays and films, and titles of songs in films listed on pp.  186-91.  No index.

Kimball, Robert.  The complete lyrics of Cole Porter.  New York: Alfred A Knopf, 1983.  PS3531 .O734125 1985

                Includes chronology and index.

compiled by Kathy Abromeit & Leslie Roberts

June 2001