Anthologies are of course where many people start, and there is no denying it can be convenient to have a wide selection of collected music on the shelf to use, particularly when first starting out as a new teacher who is still discovering their own favorite teaching pieces.
- There is no such thing as a "perfect"
anthology - find the
ones that suit you and your needs the best (with fewest duplications to
other volumes in your collection).
- Suggestions
below are geared towards developing singers - including younger students -
rather than for those who are ready to build their Young Artist/emerging
professional operatic packages; there are, of course, great operatic
anthologies for each voice type (including some that are out of print, but
well worth tracking down, eg the older generation of Schirmer volumes edited by Max Spicker).
Hal Leonard Music has greatly expanded their list of quality editions in recent years, and Classical Vocal Reprints is always a good source for both rarities and newer compositions. Good starting points that every classical teacher should probably consider owning or having on the hard drive:
- 24/26/28 Italian Arias.
I personally like the newest Schirmer release of 28: new plates are easy on the eyes, and it comes in High/Medium/low as well as the traditional Medium High/Medium low keys.
Caveat: the gigantic spiral bound compilation of all keys together is useful, but is so big and heavy it doesn't stay on the piano music rack very well! - The "First Book .... " collections by Joan
Frey Boytim
Ideal source of repertoire for developing singers across a variety of classical styles and languages. Particularly useful for less-well-known English selections, as well as songs from the early 20th century by "lesser" composers who have fallen out of favour in recent years.
Caveat: some songs are extremely out-of-date in attitude/language and should probably be retired due to implied harassment and rather archaic social attitudes. - Bergerettes (Weckerlin) - easily available on imslp.
This collection of French "ditties" - in musical lanuage falling somewhere between folksong and simple art songs - is ideal for developing singers, particularly for those who are studying French as their language in school.
Caveat: again, some of the texts have aged uncomfortably. - Folksongs for Solo Singers, arr Jay Althouse (multiple volumes and keys)
Particularly useful for singers with less classical music experience, as the arrangements have a "crossover" feel to them. - Hal Leonard Standard Vocal Literature for [Voice Type]
I personally have used these as a required text for community college students, although they include ample material for younger singers too. I find the variety of selections, keys, languages, translations, background material, and clear plates all in one place practical and pretty wide ranging. Many of the selections are public domain, however, and can also be found individually. - Textbooks
Adventures in Singing, ed. Clifton Ware
Basics of Singing, ed. Ian Schmidt
Expressions in Singing, ed. John Glenn Paton
These volumes are class voice textbooks, but also provide some excellent individual songs for developing singers, including selections in keys helpful for both beginners and boys' changing voices, as well as offering the teacher a collection of repertoire from different stylistic traditions all in one place (eg classical, musical theater, sacred and secular etc). - Graded collections
Both the ABRSM in the UK and RCM in Canada publish excellent collections of selections related to the syllabus for each of their graded levels. It can be well worth browsing the comprehensive and well-chosen song lists, even if students are not pursuing the exams. - Older/Out
of print anthologies
Art Songs for Studio & Recital, ed Mabelle Glenn (Italian Vol 1& 2 Med high/Med low).
The realizations in this 1940's collection are completely at odds with scholarly approaches to early repertoire, but there are selections for every technical need, and students seem to really enjoy them. I admit to a fondness for these romanticized arrangements!
New Imperial Colllection for [Voice type]
Inclusion of some songs that are hard to find elsewhere, and they even offer volumes for both mezzo and contralto! Heavy on English repertoire (both nationality and language).
Pathways of Song (High/Low)
These volumes offer some excellent choices for beginners as well as more advanced developing singers.
Moving beyond these generalist collections, it becomes
more about reading through material and seeing what you like! Now that we have
Dover reprints, IMSLP, and other online sources for formerly copyright material, it's possible to explore a great deal of 17th-(early)20th century music
without even having to get off the sofa. No magic
bullet to finding repertoire, just curiosity and taking time to explore.
Personal favorites from the 17th/18th/19th/early 20th century
canon:
- The two-volume Parisotti Anthology of Italian Song published by Schirmer (these are the basis for the 24 Italian, but with many more selections and some additional keys). Edited to add: I've just learned that Volume 3 is available on imslp.
- John Glenn Paton's collections of Italian songs and arias - Italian Arias of the Baroque and Classical Eras with selections beyond his collection of the "26", and his collection of Italian Art Songs (from the 17th-20th centuries). Both anthologies are available in high/low key editions and offer re-realizations of some standard rep, as well as some rarities. I find myself using both of these a lot recently.
- International
Edition of 45 Handel Songs & Arias (these are useful teaching fodder and presented in different keys, although the wider prevalence of Handel in the opera house than when the collection was first published now puts some of them firmly into "real aria" territory instead
of "obscure aria as art song".
- Bellini/Donizetti/Verdi/Donaudy/Tosti songs
- Mozart/Haydn/Beethoven Lieder
- Essential 19th century Lieder composers: Schubert, Schumann (Robert & Clara), Brahms, Mendelssohn (Felix & Fanny), Wolf, Strauss, Mahler.
- Elizabethan/Lute
Songs (I personally like the old Frederick Keel collection, but Hal Leonard
recently published a nice set in both high and low keys)
- Purcell songs (I like the Sergius Kagen realizations, but there are many others of varying complexity)
- Thomas
Arne songs and arias
- Songs of Roger Quilter (recently republished in two keys by Hal Leonard)
- English song composers: Ralph Vaughan Williams, Michael Head, C Armstrong Gibbs, Herbert Howells, Maud Valery White, Peter Warlock, Eric Thiman, Ivor Novello, John Ireland, Ivor Gurney et al. The older Boosey & Hawkes 2-volume "Heritage of British Song" collection is a treasure trove.
- Benjamin
Britten folksong arrangements (now available in a new combined edition which
includes the non-English-language settings ones as well)
- Folk song collections in a range of languages - lot to choose from and some very helpful new collections published or re-published in the last few years.
A last group of repertoire which warrants attention: the work of those in under-represented
groups. Thankfully, these composers are finally gaining wider exposure - as they should! Online sources such as IMSLP provide easy
access to things previously considered rarities, Hildegard Publishing promotes the work of
women composers, and The African
American Art Song Alliance website is a wonderful source of information
about African American composers and their output.
- Anthology of Art Songs by Black
American Composers Vol 1 and Vol 2
- The
Spirituals of Harry T. Burleigh
- Songs
of Isabella Colbran Rossini
- The
Hall Johnson Collection
- The songs and spirituals of Florence Price
- Songs of Louise Reichardt
- Songs of Samuel Coleridge Taylor
- Songs
of Pauline Viardot
All of these suggestions are highly personal and certainly not exhaustive, but hopefully provide some ideas for further exploration. Do you have any "go to" repertoire? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
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