Where can you find recorded performances?
The University of Minnesota’s streaming audio and video databases are great places to start! Libraries resources include thousands of recordings of music from all over the world. Although many searches for recordings start with a YouTube, Spotify, or Google search, you can’t always trust that those recordings are what they say they are. Since anyone can upload a video to YouTube, it’s important to think critically about the title, description, and other metadata before relying on that recording as a source for your research. Libraries audio and video databases are a trustworthy alternative since they’ve already done that evaluation for you. When using a Libraries streaming database, you can be sure that the content is what it says it is!
Find streaming video
The University of Minnesota Libraries offers access to a number of options for finding streaming video. Check below this list for more information on how to use several of these resources!
- Classical Music in VideoThis database collection contains performances of all forms of classical music, including major orchestral performances by leading orchestras, plus chamber music, oratorio, and solo performances, along with masterclasses and interviews with master teachers from around the world.
- Dance in VideoDance in Video contains dance productions and documentaries by the most influential performers and companies of the 20th century. Selections cover ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, experimental, and improvisational dance, as well as forerunners of the forms and the pioneers of modern concert dance.
- Medici.tvMedici.tv offers high-definition webcasts and streaming videos from leading music festival. It also offers a video archive of performances by great musicians of the past. Documentaries on performers and composers, educational programs, and master classes are also included.
- Met Opera on DemandUnlimited browsing to more than 450 Met Opera performances. Video playing access is limited to 5 simultaneous users.
- Music Online: Opera in VideoThe collection presents an overview of the most commonly studied operas in music history, opera literature, and performance classes. Multiple performances and worldwide stagings of the major operas allow for analysis of stage design, vocal techniques, roles, and musical interpretation across time periods, opera houses, and conductors.
- Naxos Video LibraryAccess is limited for 5 simultaneous users. A performing arts video library including operas, ballets, documentaries, live concerts, and musical tours of historic places.
- The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Concert LibraryVisit the SPCO's free online Concert Library to watch past performances. As always, you can enjoy SPCO concerts via high-definition video in our online Concert Library anytime, anywhere, completely free of charge.
If you haven’t used the Concert Library in the past, simply create a free account with your email address or sign in via Facebook and you’ll have access to on-demand videos of 17 full concerts and nearly 50 individual pieces. You may also download their free Concert Library mobile apps for Apple and Android devices via the App Store or Google Play.
Tips for using Naxos Video Library
Naxos Video Library offers access to footage from concert, competitions, recording sessions, master classes, lectures, and more. They even have a selection of "Musical Journeys" that will take you on a virtual journey to a far-away concert hall, castle, vineyard, or mountainside:
The "Advanced Search" interface allows for more granular searching by role, venue, festival, production personnel and more:
Tips for using Medici.tv
Medici.tv is a fantastic place to find on-demand opera, ballet, master classes with major teachers and performers, documentaries, AND streams of live concerts from major venues around the world:
Though you can't create your own playlists in this resource, the Medicit.tv staff add new suggested playlists every week. There's always something new to watch, so check this resource often for new videos!
Tips for using Met Opera on Demand
Met Opera on Demand offers access to over 50 years of audio and video recordings from the Metropolitan Opera's archives, and it even includes some of the most recent productions in HD. Scroll down past the images of highlighted performances to find a search box that will allow you to search for specific composers and titles:
Scroll farther down and you'll find the options for browsing the resource by title, composer, or performer. Some titles are included as video and audio, and some as one or the other:
Once you've chosen an opera to watch/listen to, you'll find useful features and information in the record for it. Use the individual tracks on the right side of the video to navigate through the recording:
Met Opera on Demand also provides helpful information for citing a performance like the cast and performance date. This information is available below the video or audio player:
Tips for using Opera in Video, Classical Music in Video, Dance in Video, and Theatre in Video
The Alexander Street Press suite of video databases puts a world of concert music, opera, theatre, and dance at your fingertips. Each of these databases offers the option to search for specific titles or names using the search bar at the top, and the dropdown menu provides categories by which you can browse. Click the "Filter" icon to get started browsing:
The built in filters include options to limit by concerts, festivals, rehearsals, and other useful keywords, browse by composer or performer, and use the collections to discover performances, master classes, lectures, interviews, and more:
One of the great features of Alexander Street Press databases is that you can create a free account that will allow you to create playlists and make clips from longer recordings. To get started, click the sign in icon in the top right corner, then the "Sign in" button (more instructions on this coming soon!):
