Tips on Obtaining Music

As you progress through your vocal studies, it is inevitable that the need to purchase copies of assigned repertoire, or even music for your own personal interest, will arise. Many of the pieces that are assigned in studio come from collections that will prove to be useful time and again.  In addition, as you go on to perform your repertoire publicly, it is absolutely imperative that your accompanist perform from original, legal copies of the music.

Purchasing music, especially collections of art song, can be a bit tricky, so here are some tips on what to look or ask for:

• Know the key of the piece or collection. Art song is often transposed into many different keys to accomodate various vocal fachs. A collection may be labled as low, medium, or high, depending on the overall range that it employs across all songs.  If you are unsure about the key or voice type or the item for which you are shopping, you may end up with something unsingable for your voice. If you have questions about this, just ask.  As a general rule, though, soprano and tenor voices will seek high voice transpositions, mezzo-sopranos and baritones will want to obtain medium voice keys (although there is some leeway here in either direction), and bass and contralto voices will seek low voice keys.

• Know the composer. It's great if you know the title of the piece, but very often many composers will have set the same piece of poetry or libretto, leading to duplicate titles.  If you know the composer's name (first and last), you will inevitably be successful in obtaining the correct piece of music.

• Know the title. Likewise, it is important to know the title of the piece. It is unlikely for a composer to have written only one piece of vocal music. If you call a supplier and ask for "that Schubert piece," you're likely to get nowhere fast (especially since Schubert composed over 600 songs). Correct spelling and pronuciation of the title will also be a big help.

• Know the publisher. Not all publishers are created equal! Many of the pieces that we study will have been published by a variety of publishers. I will often recommend a publisher to you when we discuss music purchase. All music publishers seem to have their strengths and weaknesses, and it is important to identify them in advance. Differences can range from word underlay and translations, to harmonic realization and note values, and do matter. This will ensure that you obtain the most readable and useful copy.

With this information, you should be successful at securing the music that you need. As always, if you need any help or advice, just ask.

Music Sources

T.I.S. Music Catalog
1424 East 3rd Street
Bloomington, IN 47401
1-800-421-8132
http://www.tismusic.com
T.I.S. has practically everything and anything that you might be looking for, and an extensive on-line catalog and ordering system to top it all off. Place your order using their secure transaction system, and have your music delivered to your door in a matter of days. Catalog entries include photos of the score's cover, as well as in-depth bibliographic information about the piece. Very highly recommended.

Joseph Patelson's Music House
160 West 56th Street
New York, NY 10019
212-582-5840
Patelson's is the premier music supplier in the New York metropolitain area. They have everything, and if they don't have it, they're willing to order it. The store is fascinating to browse through, but it you can't get into NYC, they do a thriving telephone order business, with expedient shipping. Highly recommended.

Classical Vocal Reprints
3253 Cambridge Avenue
Riverdale, New York 10463
800-298-7474
http://www.classicalvocalrep.com/
CVR is a specialty print music dealer and publisher of vocal music. It was founded in 1987 by Glendower Jones, a professional singer, to bring back into print classical vocal music that had long been out of print and lost to the repertoire. They have a commitment to provide a single source where nearly all vocal music can be purchased. Besides a reprint catalog of over 3,000 titles, the business also maintains over 30 file cabinets of current publications from publishers worldwide, composers ranging from Argento to Zemlinsky. Orders can be placed online or over the phone.

Westminster Music and Books
Hamilton Avenue at Walnut Lane
Princeton, NJ  08540
609-921-1656
The college bookstore of Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Has a great inventory of art song collections from all major (and most minor) composers. They also do custom orders of items not currently in stock. Even with the great inventory, service can be slow, and special orders can take a very long time, so be forewarned.

In additon to these sources, almost all of the major music publishers have their own websites, so feel free to use your favorite web portal and search them out.