|
Reference Sources (Background)
The following list gives some representative titles relating to music and is not exhaustive.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2001, 29 volumes)
Ref ML100 .N48 2001
Comprehensive encyclopedia of all things relating to music. Entries often include a bibliography.
Oxford Reference Online: Performing Arts (current, full text)
Search reference books published by Oxford University Press. Includes The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, The Oxford Companion to Music, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera, and Who's Who in Opera.
The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments (1984, 3 volumes)
Ref ML102 .I5 N48 1984
Describes instruments from all over the world, as well as instrument makers and descriptions of performance techniques. Many entries include a bibliography and picture(s).
The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (1992, 4 volumes)
Ref ML102 .O6 N5 1992
Entries for titles, composers, significant places, and terms. Entries often include a bibliography.
The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (1992, 4 volumes)
Ref ML102 .P66 G84 1992
Entries for performers (individuals and groups), including a selective discography and further reading. A bibliography of works on all topics is at the end of volume 4.
International Encyclopedia of Women Composers (1987, 2 volumes)
Ref ML105 .C7 1987
Each entry has very brief biographical information followed by a list of compositions and sometimes a bibliography. Several appendices in volume 2, including photos and a discography.
A Dictionary of Musical Themes(1948)
Ref ML128 .I65 B3
Arranged by composer, shows the notation for thousands of orchestral compositions. An index allows you identify a theme for which you know the melody.
Locating Books
The Library of Congress Classification for music is M:
| M1.A1-M1.A15 |
Early American music |
| M1.A5-M3 |
Collections of music |
| M5-M1490 |
Instrumental music |
| M1495-M5000 |
Vocal music |
| ML |
Literature on music |
| MT |
Music theory |
| MT955-MT956 |
Musical theater |
MaconCat
The library's online catalog, providing access to books, journals, music, and movies in the library.
WorldCat
A catalog of books and other materials in libraries worldwide.
Books and articles not owned by our library can be obtained from other libraries through Interlibrary Loan. Allow sufficient time for processing. Average turnaround time is 3-5 days for articles and 3-14 days for books, excluding holidays and weekends. Submit ILL requests well in advance of deadlines.
Locating Articles (Databases & Indexes)
Academic Search Complete
OmniFile Full Text Mega (1984-present; some full-text)
Articles from scholarly and popular sources from around the world covering topics in all disciplines. Select subject area HUMANITIES at the bottom of the search screen. For tips on using this database, see Using OmniFile Full Text Mega.
JSTOR (dates vary by journal; full text)
An archive of over 400 journals in many disciplines.
Arts and Humanities Citation Index (1980-present; citation only)
Citations to articles and books.
Websites
Librarians' Internet Index: Arts and Humanities
Select "Music" to reach a database of librarian-selected websites related to music.
Sites of Interest to Musicologists (American Musicological Society)
Links are organized by topic, including genres, institutions, publications, and others.
Essentials of Music (W.W. Norton and Sony Classical)
General information on eras, composers, and musical terms. Includes many audio excerpts.
A Passion for Jazz (D C DowDell)
Includes photos and posters, several glossaries, theory and composition resources, lists of books and media sources, and even a list of jazz festivals.
Aria Database (Robert Glaubitz)
Find information on over 1000 arias, including composer, opera, vocal range, setting, and translation of the text. The database is browsable and searchable in many ways, including role, composer, voice part, and range. The site also includes links to opera companies, books on operas, and other opera websites.
Specific Composers, Works, and Performers
J.S. Bach: Texts of the Complete Vocal Works with English Translation and Commentary (Z. Philip Ambrose, University of Vermont)
English translations of Bach's texts, including information on the texts' authors.
"One More Once": A Centennial Celebration of the Life and Music of Count Basie (Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies)
An online exhibit on Count Basie, including photos, musical excerpts, interviews, and more.
Digital Mozart Edition
Mozart's scores online, searchable by K number, key, category, and more.
Evaluating Sources
Evaluating Sources (R-MC)
Is it POPULAR or is it SCHOLARLY? (R-MC)
Critical Evaluation of Resources on the Internet (University of Alberta Libraries)
Citing Sources
Citing Full-Text from Library Databases (R-MC)
Citation Styles Online! (Bedford St. Martin's)
Includes examples of citations of various online sources in MLA, APA, Chicago and other styles.
KnightCite (Calvin College)
Automatically formats citation information according to MLA, APA, or Chicago styles.