Title
Abstract
Sources of instrumental music and of non-dramatic vocal music are generally understood to include preliminary sketches and drafts, manuscript and printed scores, performing parts, and, in the latter case, materials related to the choice or development of the vocal text. Letters, diaries, administrative papers, and even journalistic reviews can also be considered sources. Opera, as a collaborative fusion of music and drama, expands this list to include such materials as set and costume designs, staging manuals, lighting plots, and prop lists. Technology has further augmented the inventory, first with still photographs, and later with audio and video recordings. This chapter will concentrate on documents as sources.
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2014
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2014 Oxford University Press. This chapter first appeared in The Oxford University Handbook of Opera.
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Recommended Citation
Fairtile, Linda B. "Sources." In The Oxford Handbook of Opera, edited by Helen M. Greenwald, 969-988. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2014.