Self-Accompanied Classical Singing

Reviving a Lost Art
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-041-14703-9
Verlag: Taylor & Francis

Buch, Englisch, 160 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Self-Accompanied Classical Singing: Reviving a Lost Art explores the phenomenon of classical singers accompanying themselves.

The book charts the journey of self-accompanied singing through the history of classical music from the 14th century on, and presents extensive research involving over 100 classical singers today. It generates discussion about the practice of self-accompaniment in both the past and the present; fosters self-accompaniment as a revived professional practice in the classical sphere; and explores implications for music education, from the conservatoire to the school and private studio.

Written for a broad audience, Self-Accompanied Classical Singing will appeal to researchers, teachers and students of performance studies, music history, music education, and the sociology and psychology of music. It will also interest classical singers, voice teachers and concert promoters.

Zielgruppe

Professional Practice & Development

Autoren/Hrsg.

Green, Lucy

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Lehrerausbildung, Unterricht & Didaktik Allgemeine Didaktik Kunst, Musik, Theater (Unterricht & Didaktik)
• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Pädagogik Philosophie der Erziehung, Bildungstheorie
• Geisteswissenschaften Musikwissenschaft Geschichte der Musik
• Geisteswissenschaften Musikwissenschaft Musikwissenschaft Allgemein Musikpädagogik, Gesangspädagogik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements

Biographies of the authors

Preface

Chap 1: Lucy Green – Why does classical self-accompaniment matter?

SECTION 1: SELF-ACCOMPANIED CLASSICAL SINGING FROM THE 13TH TO THE 21ST CENTURIES

Lucy Green – Introduction and overview

Chap 2: Beth Garfinkle – Self-accompanied singing from the 12th to the 16th century: the troubadours to the concerti delle donne

Chap 3: Robin Bier – Self-accompanied singing, vocal pedagogy, and practice in the 17th and 18th centuries

Chap 4: Hermione Ruck Keene – Self-accompaniment by women in the 19th century: negotiating the private and the public spheres

Chap 5: Robin Bier – The decline of professional self-accompaniment in the 20th century

Chap 6: Elizabeth Pearse – The re-emergence of self-accompaniment in contemporary classical music

SECTION 2: THE REVIVAL OF SELF-ACCOMPANIMENT IN CLASSICAL SINGING TODAY?

Lucy Green – Introduction and overview

Chap 7: David Baker and Lucy Green – Quantitative survey results: Practices and attitudes amongst today’s classical singers concerning self-accompaniment

Chap 8: Michael Bonshor and Lucy Green – Qualitative survey results: Divided views about self-accompaniment amongst classical singers today

Chap 9: Janet Oates – Phenomenological perspectives from novice singer-pianists

Chap 10: Lucy Green – The practices of experienced singer-pianists: How does professional self-accompaniment begin, and how can it lead to public performance?

Chap 11: Lucy Green – The values of experienced singer-pianists: challenge, fulfilment, feedback, and education

SECTION 3: WHAT COULD COME NEXT?

Lucy Green – Introduction and overview

Chap 12: Lucy Green – The potential of self-accompaniment for future research, performance practice and education

APPENDICES AND INTERNET LINKS

Appendix A: Some current-day and historical classical self-accompanists

Ai) Early music current-day self-accompanists who sing with plucked or bowed strings (generally performing music up to ca. 1750)

Aii) Classical current-day self-accompanists who sing with keyboard and bowed strings (generally performing music since ca. 1750)

Aiii) Conductors who sing and conduct at the same time

Aiv) Self-accompanied songs posted on YouTube by international opera singers during the Covid lockdowns of 2020 to 2022

Av) Historical film of self-accompanied performances by singer-pianists

Appendix B: Chapter 9 research participants’ backgrounds and some final performances by novice singer-pianists

Appendix C: Chapters 10 and 11 research participants’ biographies

Über Autor(innen)

Lucy Green is Emerita Professor of Music Education at the UCL Institute of Education, London UK. She is internationally known for her work in music education, particularly in relation to gender, popular music, informal learning, new pedagogies, ideology, musical meaning, inclusion and, more generally, the sociology of music.