How to locate sheet music for opera, popular songs and classical music. Information on finding music criticism
The term 'score' means printed music:
Vocal score is a reduced version for piano and voice
Full score is the version used by an orchestra conductor and prints what each instrumental player of the orchestra, the chorus of singers and the soloists are doing at a given moment. Often the catalogue record will include the description 'vocal score'.
Libretto means just the words not the printed music for an opera.
Miniature score means a 'full score' but in a small pocket book publication format.
Opera scores can be found by searching the Library catalogue. In order to narrow down your search you need to indicate you are searching for a score and not a sound recording.
Include the name of the composer, the title of the opera and the term score.
For example: A search for Bizet Carmen "vocal score" on the catalogue will retrieve several items of which this is the most accessible.
The following comprehensive resources are excellent for outlines of the plots and stories of operas.
They also provide a wide range of information about opera composers, performance and performers.
Most of these are print books, however Oxford Music Online is a database providing online access to several leading music encyclopedias.
It is available within the Library. Outside the Library any Victorian registered user can access it.
