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Prepared by Darwin F. Scott
Assistant Director for Research and Instruction Services, Creative Arts and Humanities
October 2007
This guide presents a selective list of key resources for analyzing a script to determine sound and music needs and for sounds effects and music from prerecorded sources. It addresses the specific requirements of the class project for the Brandeis University theater arts courses "Sound for Theater, Film, and Television" (THA 50b) and "Sound Design (THA‚ 241a-b) taught by David Wilson.
Resources cited in this guide include print and electronic books and reference works, as well as sound recordings and Web sites. Highlighted titles of electronic resources and internet sites mark direct links. Some of the electronic resources are available to authorized Brandeis users only.
There may be other specialized resources appropriate for your research--please ask a librarian for additional assistance. Citations for materials listed in the guide are limited to title and call number only. For complete descriptions, see the full bibliographic record in LOUIS, the Brandeis Libraries' online catalog.
Comments or feedback on this guide are always welcome.
Inspiration for sound designs for the plays assigned for these courses may arise from overviews, criticisms, and even analyses of the plays themselves. The Literature Resource Center (for Brandeis users only) is an excellent online resource for obtaining some of this material.
Plays:
Camino Real (Tennessee Williams) (a 2d analysis)
Cloud 9 (Caryl Churchill)
Machinal (Sophie Treadwell)
Polaroid Stories (Naomi Iizuka)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Tom Stoppard)
The Scarlet Letter (novel: Nathaniel Hawthorne; play adaptation: Phyllis Nagy)
Grove Music Online (Brandeis Users Only)
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (Brandeis Users Only)
Electronic version of the 1996 4th ed. "Based on the Oxford Dictionary of Music, this searchable database contains entries on musical terms, works, composers, librettists, musicians, singers, and orchestras. Also includes descriptions of musical instruments and their histories." Part of Oxford Reference Online.
The Oxford Dictionary of Music (print)
Reliable resource for quick references to dates, titles, definitions, translations, and spellings, with short articles on composers, musicians, subjects, terms, and titles of works. Articles on major composers include work lists with dates of composition.
Creative Arts Reference ML 100 .K35 1994
The New Oxford Companion to Music (print--see LATTE for sample pages)
Provides succinct, uncomplicated articles on composers, musicians, subjects, geographical locations, historical periods, terms, and titles of works. No work lists. Geographical articles are helpful in pinpointing the major composers and types of music during a particular period of music. Example: for late 16th-century Italy, see section 3, "1500-1640" of the Italy article. One of the best sources for historical overviews of music in specific countries, providing names of key composers, types of music, etc.
Creative Arts Reference ML 100 .N5 1983
The Norton/Grove Concise Encyclopedia of Music (print)
Offers concise entries on composers, performers, instruments, terminology, genres, titles, and topics (both specific and general). Excellent single-volume alternative to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians for finding quick information and verifying names, dates, and spellings.
Creative Arts Reference ML 100 .N88 1988
The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (Brandeis Users Only)
Definitive, comprehensive encyclopedia on all aspects of opera and opera production. The electronic version is now part of Grove Music Online. The articles on individual operas include historical aspects and plot synopses. Vol. 4 includes indexes of role names and titles of arias, ensembles, etc.
Print: Creative Arts Reference ML 102 .O6N5 1992
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera (Brandeis Users Only)
Electronic version of the 1996 3d ed. "covers plot synopses and first performance details, bibliographies of works about opera, entries on singers (including their debuts and career highlights, with notes on voice type, style, and reputation), definitions and discussions of technical terms and operatic styles, and surveys of the history of opera worldwide."
Who's Who in Opera (Brandeis Users Only)
Electronic version of the corrected 1999 ed. "Containing over 2,500 operatic characters, this searchable database gives plot synopses for over 250 operas and operettas, and provides details each operatic role, including its creator and notable performers."
Print: Creative Arts Reference ML 102 .O6B68 1998
The Oxford Dictionary of Opera (print)
Excellent one-volume dictionary of opera, with concise articles on composers, titles, subjects, terms, and characters in the operas. Includes brief synopses of the major operas.
Creative Arts Reference ML 102 .O6W37 1992
The New Grove Book of Operas (print)
Offers synopses of 264 of the most popular and most commonly performed operas. Includes a glossary and indexes of role names, titles of arias, ensembles, etc., and composers.
Creative Arts Reference ML 102 .O6N52 1996
The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments (print)
Definitive articles on the history, structure, and use of classical Western, non-Western, and folk (or traditional) musical instruments.
Creative Arts Reference ML 102 .I5 N48 1984
See also Recommended Brief Descriptions and Surveys, all of which contain short articles on musical instruments.
The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (print--see LATTE for sample pages)
The Book of World-Famous Music: Classical, Popular, and Folk (print--see LATTE for sample pages)
Traces nearly 1,000 of the world's best-known melodies from classical, popular, and folk music back to their original printed sources. Includes much documentary information on the sources, copyright dates, composers, librettists, lyricists, and history of the most familiar melodies in Western music. Each entry includes a musical excerpt and the opening line(s) of text (when appropriate). Often called "Fuld" after the author, James Fuld.
Creative Arts Reference ML 113 .F8 2000
Stacks ML 113 .F8 2000 (circulates)
The Green Book of Songs by Subject: The Thematic Guide to Popular Music (print--see LATTE for sample pages)
"The first major effort to organize the popular music of this century by topic." Classifies over 21,000 popular songs by over 800 subjects and subcategories. Discography focus but still valuable for finding songs on subjects. Organized into three sections: the songs arranged by subject categories (in alphabetical order); record label codes listing; and subject index.
Creative Arts Reference ML 156.4 .P6 G73 2002
Superseded eds. are shelved in the stacks and circulate
Facts behind the Songs: A Handbook of American Popular Music from the Nineties to the '90s (print--see LATTE for sample pages)
Includes articles on origin, foreign and domestic influence, dissemination, genre, song subject, and style of music and lyrics, as well as a historical survey. There are many subject articles for popular songs. Also features a catalog of about 4,400 songs mentioned in the articles.
Creative Arts Reference ML 102 .P66 F2 1993
The Great Song Thesaurus (print--see LATTE for sample pages)
Selects from all divisions of song literature the best-known popular and/or significant songs and themes in English-speaking countries from the areas of folk songs and ballads; contemporary pop songs; nursery rhymes; sea chanteys; music-hall ballads; works from musical theater, film, radio, and television; political campaign songs; church carillons; school, college, and university songs; bugle calls; and advertising and commercial jingles. Also includes certain classical, ballet, and symphonic themes that have become world standards. Chapter 9 (pp. 621-719) offers a very handy "Thesaurus of Song Titles by Subject, Key Word, and Category."
Creative Arts Reference ML 128 .S3 L4 1989
A Resource Guide to Themes in Contemporary American Song Lyrics, 1950-1985 (print)
Cites more than 3,000 recordings organized under 15 social, political, an personal themes (characters and personalities; commutations media; death; education; marriage, family life, and divorce; military conflicts; occupations; materialism and workplaces; personal relationships, love, and sexuality; political protest and social criticism; poverty and unemployment; race relations; religion; transportation systems; urban life; and youth culture).
Creative Arts Reference ML 156.4 .P6 C66 1986
A wacky hodgepodge of useful and useless information in typical Guinness style. Its value lies in the simple surveys of information and the sections based on music subjects. Chapter 6, "What's the Key?" (pp. 151-62) surveys each key's associated mood plus representative works that provide a quick guide to many of the most common pieces of the classical repertory. Chapter 7, "Music Played," (pp. 163-77), provides many ideas for what type of music occurred when. Beware: this book is definitely not for scholars--but it is full of material that may suggest pieces for background music.
Creative Arts Reference ML 160 .D3 1986
The Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz, 1900-1950. Vol. 1: Music Year by Year 1900-1950 (print--see LATTE for sample pages)
Lists Broadway musicals, popular songs, movie musicals, and representative recordings of popular music and jazz by year from 1900 to 1955. Often called "Kinkle" because of author.
Creative Arts Reference ML 102 .P66 K55 v. 1
Billboard Top 10 Album Charts, 1963-1998 (print-->see LATTE for sample pages)
"A chronicle of the weekly Top Ten Albums charts published in Billboard 1963-1998."
Creative Arts Reference ML 156.4 .P6 W4435 1999
Billboard Top 1000 Singles, 1955-1990 (print--see LATTE for sample pages)
Lists the top 40 hit recordings by year for 1955-1990 on pp. 35-75.
Creative Arts Reference ML 156.4 .P6 W445 1991
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Complete Chart Information about the Artists and Their Songs, 1955-2000 (print--see LATTE for sample pages)
Lists the top 40 hit recordings for January 1, 1955 to December 25, 1999 by artist, songs, and record holders. #1 singles for 1955-99 listed chronologically on pp. 824-44.
Creative Arts Reference ML 156.4 .P6 W44 2000
Hit Singles: Top 20 Charts from 1954 to the Present Day (print--see LATTE for sample pages
Features side-by-side U.S. and U.K. top-20 charts month by month. Includes an index of song titles with artist, and of artists with song titles.
Creative Arts Reference ML 156.4 .P6 M42 2004
A very selective list of key print and electronic resources that should prove particularly helpful for conducting research in music at the Brandeis University Libraries. It is a reliable starting place for just about any music project involving library materials. Follow the in-depth link to a more detailed research guide for music.
Vast collection of images and related data covering many time periods and cultures. Documents the fields of architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, and design, as well as many other forms of visual culture. Sources include museums, archaeological teams, photo archives, slide collections, and art reference publishers.
Sound Ideas Sound Effects Library. The General, Series 6000
A set of 40 CDs covering an array of sounds. Produced by Sound Ideas.
Summary of CD contents: 6001. Aviation #1 -- 6002. Aviation #2 -- 6003. Animals/birds -- 6004. Auto--racing/car crashes -- 6005. Auto--Ford Escort -- 6006. Auto--Olds Cutlass -- 6007. Auto--Lincoln Town Car -- 6008. Auto--Honda Accord -- 6009. Auto--road surfaces -- 6010. Misc.--various subjects -- 6011. Construction #1 -- 6012. Construction #2 -- 6013. Crowd #1 -- 6014. Crowd #2 -- 6015. Fire -- 6016. Foley #1--footsteps -- 6017. Foley #2--footsteps -- 6018. Misc.--various subjects -- 6019. Helicopter -- 6020. Household #1 -- 6021. Household #2 -- 6022. Industry -- 6023. Industry/jungle -- 6024. Marine --6025. Military -- 6026. Motorcycles -- 6027. Music/percussion -- 6028. Office -- 6029. Outdoor sounds -- 6030. Restaurant/store -- 6031. Sports -- 6032. Misc.--various subjects -- 6033. Transportation -- 6034. Traffic -- 6035. Water -- 6036. Weather/wind / by Randy Thom -- 6037. Misc.--various subjects -- 6038. Sound designer / Frank Serafine -- 6039. Sound designer / Mike MCDonough -- 6040. Sound designer / Alan Howarth.
CDs: Creative Arts Listening Desk MCD 6001-6040
Full listing of contents: Creative Arts Listening Desk PA 2091 .SA 2000 guide, pp. 577-612 or the Online Track List
Sound Ideas Sound Effects Library. The General, Series 6000 Extensions
A supplementary set of 50 CDs from Sound Ideas.
Summary of CD contents, series I: 6041. Aviation -- 6042. Aviation & auto -- 6043. Auto -- 6044. Adding machine; Blinds -- 6045. Boat; Church -- 6046. City; Credit card -- 6047. Crowds -- 6048. Crowds; Explosion -- 6049. Fan; Forest -- 6050. Guns -- 6051. Forklift; Hose -- 6052. Hospital; Industry -- 6053. Industry -- 6054. Industry; Motor -- 6055. Motorcycle; Rain stick -- 6056. Restaurant; Skating -- 6057. Skating; Swish -- 6058. Switch; Trains -- 6059. Trains -- 6060. Tree; Zipper.
Summary of CD contents, series II: 6061. Air conditioner - Barn -- 6062. Bee - Crowd -- 6063. Crowd - Forest -- 6064. Freezer - Industry -- 6065. Industry - Music -- 6066. Paint gun - Snowball -- 6067. Snowmobiles -- 6068. Squish - Telephone -- 6069. Toboggan - Water -- 6070. Water - Wood
Summary of CD contents, series III: 6071. ATV -- 6072. Auto -- 6073. Air-battle -- 6074. Bayonet-Crowd -- 6075. Crowd-Explosion -- 6076. Fan-Gun -- 6077. Gun-Indian -- 6078. Industry -- 6079. Italy-Scrape -- 6080. Servo-Wood.
Summary of CD contents, series IV: 6081. Air-Auto -- 6082. Auto-Crowd -- 6083. Crowd-Forest -- 6084. Furnace-Industry -- 6085. Industry-Room tone -- 6086. Sci fi-Snow plow -- 6087. Snow plow-Train -- 6088. Train-Wood -- 6089. Helicopter -- 6090. Hummer.
CDs: Creative Arts Listening Desk MCD 6041-6090
Full listing of contents: Online Track List
BBC Sound Effects
A set of 40 CDs produced by the BBC. Each CD is described individually in LOUIS. In alphabetical order, the main topics of the CDs are as follows:
| Adventure sports (MCD 1733) |
Africa, the human world (MCD 1729) |
Africa, the natural world (MCD 1730) |
| Aircraft (MCD 1725) |
America (MCD 1724) |
Animals and birds (MCD 1706) |
| Babies (MCD 1727) |
Bang! (MCD 1718) |
British birds (MCD 1712) |
| Cars (MCD 1716) |
China (MCD 1726) |
Cities (MCD 1714) |
| Comedy, fantasy, and humor (MCD 1708) |
Communications (MCD 1710) |
Electronically generated sounds (MCD 1719) |
| Equestrian events (MCD 1731) |
Exterior atmospheres (MCD 1702) |
Farm machinery (MCD 1736) |
| Greece (MCD 1732) |
Horses (MCD 1737) |
Horses (2) and dogs (MCD 1738) |
| Hospitals (MCD 1728) |
Household (MCD 1703) |
Human crowds, children & footsteps (MCD 1707) |
| Industry (MCD 1713) |
Interior backgrounds (MCD 1704) |
International (MCD 1709) |
| Livestock (1) (MCD 1734 |
Livestock (2) (MCD 1735) |
[Miscellany] (MCD 1701) |
| Rural atmospheres (MCD 1715) |
Schools (MCD 1739) |
Ships and boats (1) (MCD 1722) |
| Ships and boats (2) (MCD 1723) |
|
Sport and leisure (MCD 1717) |
| Transport (MCD 1711) |
Water (MCD 1711) |
Weather (1) (MCD 1720) |
|
(MCD 1721) |
CDs: Creative Arts Listening Desk MCD 1701-1740
Complete descriptive guide: Creative Arts Listening Desk MCD 1701-1740 guide (see LATTE for sample pages)
Sound Effects on the Web (free sites)
FindSounds: Search the Web for Sounds
A free site for finding sound effects and musical instrument samples on the Web. Owned and operated by the Comparisonics Corporation.
Web site sponsored by Vilkki Studios listing many links to Web sites with free sound effects. The side bar connects to other lists of sounds.
Web site sponsored by Videomaker.com with links to several Web sites with free sound effects.
Commercial Web site that includes hundreds of free sound effects files in WAV file format. Link is to the no-flash version.
LOUIS , the online catalog of the Brandeis Libraries, is the principal means for locating books, scores, sound recordings, and microforms in the library collections. The most successful method for searching LOUIS for music materials is to use the Advanced Search option. Use the pull-down format options to limit searches to sound recordings or scores.
The Waltham Public Library has an excellent circulating collection of CDs of all types of music. You can also get CDs from any of the other libraries in the Minuteman Library Network. Many other nearby libraries are members of this network.
Provides nearly complete audio access to more than 5,500 CDs, 80,000 tracks, of primarily classical music, as well as some jazz and world/folk music from Naxos, Marco Polo, and Da Capo sound recording catalogs plus selected titles from other labels .
A particularly useful feature for finding appropriate background or mood music is the Moods and Scenarios option (no. 10) in the advanced search screen (be sure Naxos is open before clicking here). Use the browse button (magnifying glass) to review the possible moods and scenarios.
Warning: be sure to exit session by clicking on the red LOG OUT button in the top right corner; do not just close the browser.
Always use the advanced search option.
Use a keyword search (i.e., do not limit search by title or subject).
Enables searching for relevant names, titles, subjects, and/or descriptive notes appearing anywhere in the LOUIS bibliographic records.
Allows free combinations of terms and names in any order and the omission of words so that you can skip around freely anywhere in the title, name, subject, or descriptive notes. Examples: puccini nessun ; or sound effects scream .
Particularly useful for music because of the variety of formats and media in which music appears (books, sound recordings in both LP and CD format, videorecordings, DVDs, manuscripts, scores in modern editions and facsimiles, piano reductions, librettos, and microforms).
To limit a search to sound recordings only, use the pull down menu under "Formats." The default is "all materials"--replace this with "sound recording."
To limit the search to CDs only, include the word compact in your keyword search.
NOTE! The CD collection at Brandeis is continuously growing but is by no means comprehensive and the Library maintains a very large collection of LPs. If you wish to retrieve all the sound recordings of a particular work or on a particular subject, do not limit your search with compact. Since LOUIS bibliographic records sort in reverse chronological order, the LPs will appear near the end of the list (the Library owns none produced after the mid-1980s).
The truncation symbol is ? . This symbol allows you to search multiple forms of a basic word (singular/plural or noun/adjective). To find recordings of African music, for example, search music africa? to include African and Africa in your search.
Recordings of non-Western, ethnic, or folk music usually have the country or region in one of the subject headings--generally as a noun rather than as an adjective. Use the truncation symbol ? or an "or" search (france or french) to search both geographical forms simultaneously.
Arrangements usually have the word "arranged" in the bibliographic record. Add arranged to your keyword search to find arrangements. Arrangements denote a different instrumentation of a musical work than used in its original form--there are, for example, many arrangements of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (originally composed for solo piano) for orchestra and various instrumental ensembles.
To find recordings featuring a specific instrument, use the name of the instrument in the keyword search and limit the search to sound recordings.
To find recordings of sound effects, includes the word sounds in your search (limited to sound recording)--for example, sounds horses
