Scarecrow Press Art Song in the United States, 1759-2011: An Annotated Bibliography

This fourth edition of Art Song in the United States, 1759-2011 covers songs for solo voice and piano by American composers from the mid-18th through the early 21st centuries. The book is structured as an annotated bibliography with approximately 2,850 numbered entries listed alphabetically by composer and title and indexed in various ways to help teachers and singers locate the particular song they require for practice or performance. This edition adds eleven years' worth of new works, anthologies, and collections (about 450 new entries), reflecting the relatively recent outpouring of song compositions by American composers and a wealth of new song anthologies and collections. This bibliography features information on each song or song cycle or set. Users will find critical data on the poet, publisher and copyright date, key, vocal range, vocal tessitura, meter(s), tempo, length, difficulty of vocal line and piano score, most suitable voice type, mood and subject of the text, and brief description of the vocal line and piano score. It also includes commentary on special difficulties for performers and possible uses of the song in programming. In addition, individual titles of composite works are given, and those that appear in collections are indexed to the list of collections in the front matter. Composer, poet, special characteristics/subject, and title indexes-and even discographic lists recordings where available-all aid researchers in finding songs. The primary audiences for this bibliography are voice teachers and singers in search of appropriate art songs for their students or themselves, as well as libraries with collecting interests in music and American literature. Review In this select bibliography (more than 2,500 entries) of solo vocal pieces with piano for practice and recital use, a set or song cycle--The Aids Quilt Songbook, for example--is listed under its title followed by its composers. Other entries are listed by composer (and under composer, by song title). Information on voice type, mood, piano style, and difficulty of the piece is provided. Beyond a classification of voice, such as soprano or tenor, rhythm and phrasing challenges are noted. Mood descriptions like "humorously philosophical" or "ecstatic love song" give a helpful interpretation of the song. Piano style can be "block chords throughout" or "very chromatic," for example. Difficulty can be cited as "many tempo changes" or "highly complex and dissonant." Recommendations for use are also included, such as "interesting and attractive cycle for an advanced graduate soprano" or "vigorous song for baritone with flair for the style." The discography references recordings (anthologies and single composer), where available. Back matter offers an appendix that includes compositions with foreign language texts, a chronological list of composers and a list of references, and indexes of titles, composers, and poets (William Shakespeare, Sara Teasdale, William Blake). VERDICT This specialized resource covers a lengthy time span and is aimed at teachers, students, performers, and researchers. A reliable source for a quick, informative profile of art song, of particular interest to music and academic libraries.--Library Journal Review from the 3rd edition: Art Song in the United States, 1759-1999 is by far the best tool available on the topic. More than twenty-five years after this country's bicentennial, information on American art song is still not readily available and promotion of the repertory is relatively rare. I recommend this book highly to voice teachers, academic libraries of institutions which support voice programs, and all proponents and enthusiasts of American music.--Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association The first edition of this comprehensive bibliography was published in 1978, and subsequent supplements and editions have each increased the coverage. This edition contains 2,850 entries, 470 of