Finding English Translations of Vocal Music Texts

English translations of song and aria texts may be found in scores, libretti, liner notes, and books. Unlike other materials, however, books often offer word-for-word translations, in addition to poetic translations and phoetic readings. The books listed below, many of which are located in the reference stacks, provide translations of vocal repertoire: the first set contains books with the works of a particular composer, while the second set contains books with texts in a particular language.


COMPOSER-BASED BOOKS

Bach, Johann Sebastian

Stokes, Richard. The Complete Church and Secular Cantatas. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2000.
Reference: ML 54 .B12 C232 2000

Unger, Melvin P. Handbook to Bach's Sacred Cantata Texts: An Interlinear Translation with Reference Guide to Biblical Quotations and Allusions. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1996.
Reference: ML 410 .B12 U54 1996

Brahms, Johannes

Glass, Beaumont. Brahms' Complete Song Texts: In One Volume Containing Solo Songs, Duets, Liebeslieder Waltzes (Both Sets), the Alto Rhapsody, Folk Song Arrangements. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1999.
Reference: ML 54.6 .B82 G521 1999

Stark, Lucien. Brahms's Vocal Duets and Quartets with Piano: A Guide with Full Texts and Translations. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998.
Reference: MT 115 .B73 S71 1998

Debussy, Claude

Rohinsky, Marie-Claire. The Singer's Debussy. New York: Pelion Press, 1987.
Reference: ML 54.6 .D42 R621 1987

Dvorák, Antonín

Adams, David. The Song and Duet Texts of Antonín Dvorák and Vecerní písne (Evening Songs) of Bedrich Smetana. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2003.
Reference: ML 54.6 .D86 2003

Fauré, Gabriel

Gartside, Robert. Interpreting the Songs of Gabriel Fauré. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1996.
ML 410 .F26 G37 1996

Handel, George Frideric

Castel, Nico. Handel Opera Libretti. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2005-
Reference: ML 49 .H23 2005

Monteverdi, Claudio

Stevens, Denis. Songs and Madrigals. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1998.
Reference: ML 54.7 .M66 S74 1998

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Castel, Nico. The Libretti of Mozart's Completed Operas: In Two Volumes. 2 vols. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1997-1998.
Reference: ML 49 .M94 C37 1997

Smith, Judyth Schaubhut, David Stivender, and Susan Webb. The Metropolitan Opera Book of Mozart Operas. New York: Harper Collins, 1988.
ML 49 .M94 S65 1991

Mussorgsky, Modest

Richter, Laurence R. Mussorgsky's Complete Song Texts: Russian Texts of the Complete Songs of Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2002.
Reference: ML 54.6 .M93 R53 2002

Pfitzner, Hans

Mercier, Richard. The Songs of Hans Pfitzner: A Guide and Study. Westport, CO: Greenwood Press, 1998.
Reference: ML 410 .P53 M47 1998

Puccini, Giacomo

Castel, Nico. The Complete Puccini Libretti. 2d ed. 2 vols. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2002.
Reference: ML 49 .P92 2002

Rachmaninoff, Sergei

Challis, Natalia. The Singer's Rachmaninoff. New York: Pelion Press, 1989.
Reference: ML 54.6 .R18 C43 1989

Richter, Laurence R. Rachmaninov's Complete Song Texts. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2000.
Reference: ML 54.6 .R18 R531 2000

Ravel, Maurice

Gartside, Robert. Interpreting the Songs of Maurice Ravel. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1992.
ML 410 .R22 G37 1992

Rodrigo, Joaquín

Draayer, Suzanne Rhodes. A Singer's Guide to the Songs of Joaquín Rodrigo. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1999.
Reference: ML 410 .R72 D73 1999

Schubert, Franz

Glass, Beaumont. Schubert's Complete Song Texts. 2 vols. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1996.
Reference: ML 54.6 .S39 G53 1996

Wigmore, Richard. Schubert, the Complete Song Texts: Texts of the Lieder and Italian Songs. London: Gollancz, 1988.
Reference: ML 54.6 .S38 W65 1988

Schumann, Robert

Glass, Beaumont. Schumann's Complete Song Texts: In One Volume Containing All Completed Solo Songs Including Those Not Published During the Composer's Lifetime, Duets, Trios, Quartets. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2002.
Reference: ML 54.6 .S387 G52 2002

Schütz, Heinrich

Drinker, Henry S. English Texts to the Vocal Works of Heinrich Schütz. Merion, PA, 1952.
ML 54 .S39 D78

Shostakovich, Dmitri

Richter, Laurence R. Shostakovich's Complete Song Texts: Russian Texts of the Complete Songs of Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1999.
Reference: ML 54.6 .S48 S62 2007

Strauss, Richard

Castel, Nico. Four Strauss Opera Libretti. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2002.
Reference: ML 49 .S925 2002
          Includes Der Rosenkavalier, Elektra, Salome, Ariadne auf
          Naxos.

Glass, Beaumont. Richard Strauss' Complete Song Texts: In One Volume Containing All Solo Songs Including Those Not Published During the Composer's Lifetime. Mt. Morris, NY: Leyerle, 2004.
Reference: ML 54.6 .S86 2004

Tchaikovsky, Peter

Richter, Laurence R. Tchaikovsky's Complete Song Texts: Russian Texts of the Complete Songs of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1999.
Reference: ML 54.6 .T35 T34 1999

Sylvester, Richard D. Tchaikovsky's Complete Songs: A Companion with Texts and Translations. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002.
Reference: ML 54.6 .T24 S9 2002

Verdi, Giuseppe

Castel, Nico. The Complete Verdi Libretti. 4 vols. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1994-1996.
Reference: ML 49 .V48 C37 1994

Wagner, Richard

Castel, Nico. Der Ring des Nibelungen. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2003.
Reference: ML 50 .W14 R32 2003

Castel, Nico. Three Wagner Opera Libretti. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2006.
Reference: ML 49 .W134 2006

Wolf, Hugo

Glass, Beaumont. Hugo Wolf's Complete Song Texts: In One Volume Containing All Completed Solo Songs Including Those Not Published During the Composer's Lifetime. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2000.
Reference: ML 54.6 .W85 2000


LANGUAGE-BASED BOOKS

French

Castel, Nico. French Opera Libretti. 3 vols. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 1999-
Reference: ML 48 .F74 1999

Johnson, Graham, and Richard Stokes. A French Song Companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Reference: ML 54.6 .F74 J761 2000

LeVan, Timothy. Masters of the French Art Song: Translations of the Complete Songs of Chausson, Debussy, Duparc, Fauré & Ravel. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001.
Reference: ML 54.6 .M331 2001

Coffin, Berton, Werner Singer, and Pierre Delattre. Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias. Part I: German and French. New York: Scarecrow Press, 1966.
Reference: ML 54.6 .W92 pt.1

German

Castel, Nico. German Miscellaneous Opera Libretti. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2005.
Reference: ML 48 .G473 2005

Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich. The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over Seven-Hundred and Fifty Songs. New York: Knopf, 1977.
Reference: ML 54.6 .F53

Phillips, Lois. Lieder Line by Line, and Word for Word. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996.
Reference: ML 54.6 .P55 L51 1996

Miller, Philip Lieson. German Lieder. New York: Continuum, 1990.
Reference: ML 54.6 .G2751 1990

Coffin, Berton, Werner Singer, and Pierre Delattre. Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias. Part I: German and French. New York: Scarecrow Press, 1966.
Reference: ML 54.6 .W92 pt.1

Jeffers, Ron. Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire. Vol II: German Texts. Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 2000.
Reference: ML 47 .T7211 1988 v.2

Italian

Castel, Nico. Italian Belcanto Opera Libretti. 3 vols. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2000-2002.
Reference: ML 48 .I8821 2000

Castel, Nico. Italian Verismo Opera Libretti: In Two Volumes. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2000-
Reference: ML 48 .I884 2000

LeVan, Timothy. Masters of the Italian Art Song: Word-by-Word and Poetic Translations of the Complete Songs for Voice and Piano. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1990.
Reference: ML 54.6 .M341 1990
          Includes the texts of the complete songs of Bellini, Donaudy,
          Donizetti, Puccini, Rossini, Tosti, and Verdi.

Gerhart, Martha. Italian Song Texts from the 17th through the 20th Centuries. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2002-
Reference: ML 54.6 .I83 2002 v.1-2

Schoep, Arthur, and Daniel Harris. Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias. Part II: Italian. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1972.
Reference: ML 54.6 .W92 pt.2

Richardson, Dorothy, and Tina Ruta. Arie Antiche. Orleans, MA: Paraclete Press, 1990.
Reference: ML 54.6 .A751 1990

Russian

Belov, Anton. Libretti of Russian Operas. Geneseo, NY: Leyerle, 2004-
Reference: ML 48 .L68 2004

Piatak, Jean, and Regina Avrashov. Russian Songs & Arias: Phonetic Readings, Word-by-Word Translations, and a Concise Guide to Russian Diction. Dallas: Pst…Inc., 1991.
Reference: MT 883 .P541 1991

Richter, Laurence R. Selected Nineteenth Century Russian Song Texts: Russian Texts of Songs by Abaza, Aliabiev, Arensky, Balakirev, Borodin, Bulakhov, Cui, Dargomyzhsky, Dubuque, Glinka, Gurilyov, Kharito, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rubinstein, Varlamov, Verstovsky, and Yakovlev. Mt. Morris, NY: Leyerle, 2005.
Reference: ML54.6 .R52 S45 2005

Czech

Cheek, Timothy. Singing in Czech: A Guide to Czech Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001.
MT 883 .C441 2001
          Includes the texts of select songs and arias in Czech.

Spanish

Cockburn, Jacqueline, and Richard Stokes. The Spanish Song Companion. London: Gollancz, 1992.
ML 2547 .C6211 1992

Sobrer, Josep Miquel, and Edmon Colomer. The Singer's Anthology of 20th Century Spanish Songs. New York: Pelion Press, 1987.
PQ 6187 .S551 1987
          Includes the texts of songs by Granados, Falla, and Mompou.

Latin

Jeffers, Ron. Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire. Vol. I: Sacred Latin Texts. Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 1988.
Reference: ML 47 .T7211 1988 v.1

Various Languages

Miller, Philip L. The Ring of Words: An Anthology of Song Texts. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1963.
Reference: ML 54.6 .M65
          Includes the texts of selected German, French, Italian,
          Russian, Scandinavian, and Spanish songs.