Subject Librarian
Song Texts, Librettos, Translations, and IPA Transcriptions
These four terms are interrelated, and there are sources that are distinguished for what kind of text and what kinds of information that you want to know. Individual publications may combine any of these aspects. The influential Castel librettos (see below), combine librettos to entire operas, along with IPA transcriptions, word-for-word translations, and poetic translations when the meaning of the word-for-word translation is difficult to understand. Some librettos and song text collections will not have any translations from the original language.
Song Texts vs. Librettos: Collections of song texts refer to the texts for individual songs, mostly independent art songs, but may come from an opera as well. Librettos refer to the words of a dramatic, sung work, such as an opera, a musical, or an oratorio. In musical theater, these are often called "books." (Libretto literally means "little book" in Italian). There are publications of song text collections and librettos as books, separate from the score.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet): The IPA is a way of describing the sounds of an individual word or syllable. These can be useful for languages that you are unfamiliar with. Some scores come with IPA transcriptions under the text or at the front of the score. There are also resources that are separate from the score with IPA transcriptions, such as IPA Source and some libretti.
Singing Translations vs. Poetic Translations vs. Word-for-Word Translations: Not all translations are equal. Singing translations allow you to sing a song or aria in another language, making sure there are correct number of syllables (more or less), that certain words are emphasized to go along with the musical setting, that it sounds natural in the new language, and may keep the original rhyme scheme. Poetic translations try to convey the meaning of the text as close as possible, while still sounding natural, or at least poetic, in the new language, though they may not try to keep the same number of syllables, match the meter, or rhyme. These translations are primarily for audiences to follow along. Word-for-word translations provide the translation of each word, so that the singer can understand the exact word that they are singing, not just the sentiment of the entire phrase.
Call Numbers for Song Texts, Librettos, IPA Transcriptions and Translations
- ML48 and ML49 (in PAC Reference and the PAC stacks): operatic texts
- ML50 (in the PAC and sometimes in the General Collection on the fourth floor): Individual librettos and books of musicals
- ML54.6 (in PAC Reference and the PAC stacks): collections of song texts
- MT872 (in PAC stacks and General Collection): books on phonetics and International Phonetic Alphabet
- MT883 (in PAC stacks and General Collection) books on diction, including pronunciation in specific languages
Online Resources
- IPA Source This link opens in a new windowInternational Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions and literal translations of opera arias and art song texts for musicians.
- Naxos Music Library This link opens in a new windowNaxos Music Library provides streaming audio of primarily classical music. Many of the recordings of operas and vocal recitals provide the full text (and sometimes translations) to the operas and songs recorded. These will be in the "booklet," which can be found on the left-hand side of the screen, under the cover art, if provided.
- Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL)The Choral Public Domain Library provides access to public domain choral scores. There are often translations of texts available with the scores.
- LiederNet ArchiveThe texts in this collection come from a variety of different sources including published scores, published poetry collections and books, CD booklets, and concert programs. Details about specific settings also come from bibliographies and catalogs, sometimes score unseen. Because composers sometimes make changes to the texts they set to music, LiederNet tries to show these changes in footnotes. Indication will also be made of where such comparisons have been performed or where they need to be performed.
- Art Song CentralArt Song Central is principally an archive and directory of free, printable public domain sheet music for singers and voice teachers. An emphasis is placed on standard classical and traditional repertoire. IPA transcriptions are now available for every German, French, Italian and Latin song in the index.
- Index to Opera and Ballet Sources OnlineThis index points to many sources for opera, including to libretti, some with translations.
Prominent Translations and Transcriptions
The series of opera translations and transcriptions by Nico Castel are the gold-standard in music scholarship. They provide background information on the works and word-by-word and poetic translations in addition to IPA transcriptions of authoritative editions of the texts of operas and art songs. You can find them in the Performing Arts Collection reference section between ML 48 and ML 50.
Volumes include:
- French Opera Libretti
- German Miscellaneous Opera Libretti
- Italian Bel Canto Opera Libretti
- Italian Verismo Opera Libretti
- Libretti of Russian Operas
- Gluck and Monteverdi Opera Libretti
- Handel Opera Libretti
- The Libretti of Mozart's Completed Operas
- The Complete Puccini Opera Libretti
- Four Strauss Opera Libretti
- The Complete Verdi Libretti
- Three Wagner Opera Libretti
- Wagner: The Ring of the Nibelung
Other resources are available for art songs, often organized by language or individual composers. Here are some other prominent examples:
J. S. Bach: The complete Cantatas by Call Number: PAC Ref. ML 53.8 B12S76 2000ISBN: 9780810839335Publication Date: 2000-11-01- Brahms' Complete Song Texts byCall Number: PAC Ref. ML 54.6 B813 G53 1999ISBN: 1878617265Publication Date: 1999-03-01
The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder by Call Number: PAC Ref. ML 54.6 F529F57 1998ISBN: 0879100044Publication Date: 2004-08-01- Italian Song Texts from the 17th Century byCall Number: PAC Ref. ML 54.6 I85G47 2002ISBN: 1878617478Publication Date: 2002-01-01
Masters of the Italian Art Song by Call Number: PAC Ref. ML 54.6 M423L48 1990ISBN: 9780810823631Publication Date: 1993-04-01- Rachmaninov's Complete Song Texts byCall Number: PAC Ref. ML 54.6 R122R53 2000ISBN: 1878617303Publication Date: 2000-01-01
- Russian Songs and Arias byCall Number: PAC Ref. ML 54.6 R969P53 1991ISBN: 1877761524Publication Date: 1991-09-01
- Selected Nineteenth Century Russian Song Texts byCall Number: PAC Ref. ML 54.6 R969R53 2005ISBN: 1878617672Publication Date: 2005-01-01
- Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire byCall Number: PAC Ref. ML 1500 J45T7ISBN: 0962153206Publication Date: 1988-11-01
