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We've all got a number of web links that we feel we really couldn't do without. Here are mine.
The Aria Database
A searchable database of arias. Many provide links to translations,
midi files etc. Can be searched by a variety of different terms
including character, fach, range etc.
The Opera Critic
This is the best place I have found for monitoring opera
reviews. It references reviews in online versions of newspapers and
magazines. It's not ideal, and I have no clear impression of the extent
of coverage, but it is a useful and interesting perspective. A bit like
democracy ... It is now a subscription-based site, although the
day-by-day news is still free.
Copac
Copac is an online catalog of libraries. It is the simplest possible
way of searching academic library collections across the UK. It does
not include the British Library, but does include many other major
collections such as Leeds and Glasgow.
Opera scores available online
The University of Indiana is running an excellent trial project
making complete opera scores available online. It is probably intended
for students at the university to access via their network, but all the
content is available externally. Scores are provided as GIF files for
downloading a page at a time, so it unlikely ever to be a practical way
of obtaining scores, but it is a very useful
online reference.
OperaGlass
The OperaGlass project at Stanford University provides an outstanding
opera resource, both providing materials and also giving many links to
other web sites related to opera. Use this site to locate libretti
(original language) and much other operatic miscellanea.
British Library Manuscripts Catalogue
Simple and straightforward access to the wealth of the British
Library's manuscripts. The entire manuscript collection appears to be
covered including music. This proves a useful way of locating all the
contents of given Mss. Of course, manuscripts can only be viewed in
person at the British LIbrary and you'll need a reader's ticket.
British Library Public Catalogue
Only recently (2001) the British Library finally made a substantial
portion of its catalogue available for the first time. I don't think
the entire collection is searchable online, but it's a step in the
right direction!
RISM
The RISM database is a very welcome online facility, providing consolidated accesss to multiple manuscript collections.
Pavilion Music
Run by Ian Gledhill. Ian has translated a large
number of operas and Pavilion Music has links with a large number of
other translators, so Ian's catalogue is well worth a look
Any search on the web for 'free sheet music' will provide you with enough links to keep you busy for months. In the classical music world the best I have found are:
GMD - Music Archive Sheet Music
Wide range of mostly baroque and classical pieces in a variety of formats
Choral Public Domain Library
Several thousand public domain choral items for free download from the site. Mostly renaissance and baroque, but some later.
IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project)
Includes a range of different types of score, ranging from some very
useful scanned facsimile scores to single items, often sourced from
other well-known sites.
Mundial Directory of free sheet music
A site listing locations of sheet music. Includes quite a lot of dross, but some good sources as well.
Olson's site [Ballad opera tunes folk stuff and
abc]
I became very interested in abc notation while researching ballad
operas and ballad tunes. Olsen maintains an outstanding site the
sources words and music for a large proportion of the ballad of
the 16th and 17th centuries. Since Bruce Olsen's death, this site is now being hosted by The Mudcat Cafe. The original site can still be accessed via the Wayback Machine.
Classical MIDI Archives
This is probably the most complete collection of classical MIDI files
on the web. Indexed by composer and searchable it is an invaluable
resource.
Bohemians
of the Latin Quarter
Billy Budd
Blue
Monday [Gershwin]
Flying
Dutchman
Manon
Lescaut
Madame Butterfly
Porgy
and Bess
Traviata
Turn of the Screw (Gutenberg text)