Guide to the Aria Repertoire

Reviews / Votes

"Clark . . . has compiled a guide to opera repertory for solo voice. . . . This work can be compared to Berton Coffin's Singer's Repertoire (2nd ed., 1962), which covers the art song in much the same manner. . . . Recommended."-Choice
"Clark, director of opera and musical theater at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and author of 'Singing, Acting, and Movement in Opera' (CH, Mar'03, 40-3914), has compiled a guide to opera repertory for solo voice. The arias are grouped by voice type (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass), with further subdivisions by character (spinto, dramatic, etc.). Each entry gives the title of the aria and its location within the work, along with the vocal range and duration. Clark discusses each briefly, touching on the dramatic setting and context, with interpretative suggestions for the performer. The location of the aria in a common piano-vocal score is given, e.g., p. 135 (Schirmer), but this telegraphic reference to just one score is unsatisfactory, since not all singers will have the same score, and even the referenced score is not fully identified. Separate indexes for locating arias by title, opera, language, and historical period aid readers in locating works that fit certain repertory requirements. This work can be compared to Berton Coffin's 'Singer's Repertoire' (2nd ed., 1962), which covers the art song in much the same manner. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through graduate students; professionals/practitioners. -CHOICE December 2007"-C. A. Kolczynski, Boston Public Library