Finding music scores - Modern Editions
Browse | Search | Collected Editions| Online Music Scores | Thematic Catalogues | Uniform Titles
The Music Library owns a large collection of music performance material for individual instruments and ensemble use.
Browsing the music shelves
The easiest and best way to find music scores is to just check the shelves
as all the scores are arranged in :
- ALPHABETICAL order by COMPOSER NAME - Albeniz...Bach...Beethoven...Haydn... Mozart... Schubert...Wagner....
Albums which include works by a number of composers are filed at the end after the last composer name. - CATEGORIES according to instrument or the form of composition each with a different letter(s) which forms part of the score's call number. Where available, click on the category label to see a complete listing. The categories are as follows:
| A - Piano - 2-hands | GGM - Mandolin | M - Voice and Piano | TB - Choral - Female |
| AB - Piano - Rags/Ragtime | GH - Koto | MA - Vocal Albums | TC - Choral - Male |
| AC - Piano - Jazz | HA - Flute / Piccolo | MB - Folk Songs | TD - Choral - Mixed |
| B - Piano - 4-hands | HB - Oboe & Cor Anglais | MC - Voice & Instr. accomp. | TE - Madrigal Albums |
| C - Two Pianos - 4-hands | HC - Clarinet | MD - Vocalise / exercises | TF - Madrigals - Female |
| CA - Two Pianos - 6-hands | HCA - Saxophone | ME - Vocal recitatives | TG - Madrigals - Male |
| CB - Two Pianos - 8-hands | HD - Bassoon | MF - Vocal AMEB | TH - Madrigals - Mixed |
| D - Harpsichord, etc. | HE - Horn | MK - Vocal Duets | TJ - Sacred - Hymn Books |
| E - Violin | HG - Trombone | ML - Popular Songs | TK - Sacred - Anthems |
| F - Viola | HH - Tuba | N - Organ | TL - Sacred - Motets |
| FA - Viols & Viola da gamba | HJ - Percussion | NB - Organ tests | TM - Parts of Service |
| G - Cello | HK - Harp | P - Miniature scores | TN - Sacred - Songs |
| GE - Bass | HL - Recorder | PM - Miniature albums | TP - Carols |
| GF - Duos, Duets (ex. Guitar) | HM - Original Wind | PN - Norton critical scores | WM - School Songs |
| GG - Guitar | HN - Handbells / Carillon | Q - Full scores | WR - Operettas |
| GGA - Guitar Albums | HP - Accordion | R - Opera Vocal scores | WS - Movement / Games |
| GGB - Duos with Guitar | J - Trios | S - Choral Vocal scores | WT - School Percussion |
| GGC - Guitars (3 or more) | K - Quartets | T - Choral Albums | X+ - Folio size scores |
| GGL - Lute | L - Quintets, etc. | TA - Choral Unison | Z+ - Elementary teaching |
Search the Library Catalogue - by Keyword | Author | Subject | Call Number
KEYWORD searching
A quick and easy search, use the KEYWORD search which lets you combine terms such as composer name, words from title, contents, subject and allows limiting by format.
Be aware that the titles of musical works vary greatly across languages and
even in the same language.
As a guide, use the composer name and a significant
word or words in the title, i.e.
Then LIMIT this search to music scores, select PRINTED MUSIC from the "Material Type" drop-down menu. Click "Search"
Useful tips
- use the plural of the musical GENRE e.g. sonatas, suites, concertos
- include the name of the INSTRUMENT
- include the composer's SURNAME to help focus your results
- limit your search results to "PRINTED MUSIC"
- include a distinctive word e.g. title word, opus number or thematic catalogue number. To find titles, opus or thematic numbers consult the composer works' list in the Grove Music Online or The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians / 2nd. ed. UniM Music REF 780.3 NEW
AUTHOR searching
Searching by AUTHOR allows you to retrieve the works written by a particular composer where the name has been indexed in the author field. These results can then be modified and limited to printed music.
- Start with an AUTHOR search, e.g. Beethoven Ludwig van, then click on the "LIMIT THIS SEARCH" label
- Then LIMIT this search to music scores, by selecting PRINTED MUSIC from the "Material Type" drop-down menu.
- An additional limit option available here is to add Words in TITLE or Words in SUBJECT, e.g. SONATA
- Click "Search".
Useful tips
- if the composer name is not indexed in an author field but is in the contents or subject fields, the record will not be found. Use a KEYWORD search to find a composer name anywhere in the library record.
SUBJECT searching
Searching by Subject is a very precise way of searching and you must search using Library of Congress Subject Headings. This search requires that both the search words used and the word order must comply with the subject heading list. For example, "music history" and not" history music".
In order to familiarize yourself with useful Subject terms, search by keyword to retrieve some relevant examples. Check the Subject field in the useful records retrieved to see what terms are used as subject headings in the catalogue. Return to your Subject search using these terms.
Many subject headings start with the word of a specific genre, e.g.
Other useful Subject Headings include:
Useful tips
- if subject searching is not successful, try using these terms in keyword searches where all of the library record is searched.
CALL NUMBER searching
This is a limited option, but given the classification and arrangement used in our library, searching by Call number allows you to browse some collections online. Not suitable for call number suffixes commonly used across the library system, e.g. F, P, etc.
For a list of scores, use the alpha label of the collection, followed by a space, e.g.
- Scores for Clarinet solo or Clarinet with Piano accompaniment, use HC
- Scores for Saxophone solo or Saxophone with Piano accompaniment, use HCA
- Choose more music categories links from the table above.
Useful tips
Use CALL NUMBER + composer name CLASSIFICATION to retrieve more specific results. From the catalogue, take note of the composer classification which is coded with the first letter of the composer's name, followed by 3 or 4 numbers, e.g.
| Music for piano - A, by Beethoven - B415 | = A B415 |
| Songs (voice and piano) - M, by Schubert - S384 | = M S384 |
| Opera (vocal scores) - R, by Puccini - P977 | = R P977 |
Understanding Uniform Titles
A musical work may be printed with titles that vary depending upon the language of the country of publication, or particular terms used by the publisher. For example:
- 48 Preludes and Fugues
- Well-Tempered Clavier
- Das wohltemperierte Klavier
To bring all these different titles together a distinctive or Uniform Title is created according to fixed rules. Familiarity with these rules enables more successful searching. The following online guides provide useful summaries and the library catalogue examples and hints apply to our own catalogue:
- Making the most of the library : using uniform titles is available at the Cook Music Library, Indiana University at: http://theme.music.indiana.edu/collections/uniform/intro.html
- Principles of Music Uniform titles : a brief introduction by Matthew W. Wise, Music Librarian, New York University.
Collected Editions and Historical Sets
The Collected Editions Collection is an extensive musical scores collection arranged in a number of sequences. The Composers' Complete Editions are arranged in alphabetical order by composer name while the Historical Sets and Anthologies are arranged in broad areas: historical period, operas, sacred music, symphonies, piano and organ music, etc. according to Dewey classification.
Identifying individual items within these collections can be a challenge. Use one or a combination of the following strategies:
- Use the Library Catalogue. Try a keyword search or a subject search.
- Grove
Music Online. (restricted - University
of Melbourne only)
The list of works which follow the composer entry often refers to the "Collected Edition" of the works of that composer.
- Index to Printed Music : Collections & Series
(restricted - University of Melbourne only)
An online index for finding music scores printed in standard scholarly editions, historical collections and series. Each individual work in a collection is indexed, allowing retrieval by composer, title, collection as well as by specific performing forces. A guide is available.
- Index
to Renaissance Vocal Music in Collections - Compiled by
Carol Ohlers, Scott Library, York University, Toronto, Ontario.
This index is limited to sacred and secular vocal music. Volumes in indexed collections that contain only instrumental music have been excluded as well as instrumental selections in indexed volumes
- Heyer, Anna Harriet, 1909- (comp.) UniM Music 016.78
HEYE v.1-2
Historical sets, collected editions, and monuments of music : a guide to their contents / 3rd ed. Chicago : American Library Association, 1980.
A useful but an out-of-date index.
- Hill, George R. (George Robert), 1943- UniM Music REF
016.78 HILL
Collected editions, historical series & sets & monuments of music: a bibliography / George R. Hill, Norris L. Stephens. Berkeley, Calif. : Fallen Leaf Press, c1997. (Fallen Leaf reference books in music; 14)
Another incomplete index but a useful supplement to Heyer.
These published series are important scholarly editions of historically significant music. For an introduction and overview to these collections, refer to:
- For an overview, consult the introductory article Editions
from Grove
Music Online (restricted - University
of Melbourne only)
A summary of the modern history of collected editions followed by a list of editions of music, subdivided into three parts:
(1) Editions of the complete works of a single composer
(2) Multi-volume editions devoted to unified musical repertory
(3) Anthologies of selections and excerpts from a variety of musical sources.Also available in print: UniM Music REF 780.3 NEW
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians / 2nd. NewYork: Macmillan, 2001.1. For an overview, consult the introductory article "Editions, Historical " in v.7 pp.895-
2. "...a comprehensive guide to collections of past musical repertory" in v.28, pp.169-
Includes: 1. Single-composer complete editions ; 2. Other collected editions ; 3. Anthologies.
Online and Digital Music Score Collections
A number of early music digitisation projects are increasingly appearing on the internet or available on CD-ROM. The following is a selection:
- CD Sheet Music Collection, CD 5018 v.1-8 - a series of CD-ROMs available for loan from the Music Library.
- Digital Music Score Collections - a selection.
- MusicAustralia Catalogue : scores listing and scores online
"Most online scores were published before 1930, as contributors have concentrated on digitising out of copyright material." To browse the collection, try sorting by title, name, date ascending, date descending, online or format. - Music Library Scores Collection - University of Michigan.
- Music Scores Collection - Sibley Music Library at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester.
More than 2200 digitized scores available online. Offers a title, author or keyword search option as well as allowing browse via author, researcher or title indexes. - The Mutopia Project : Free sheet music for everyone
"The Mutopia Project offers sheet music editions of classical and contemporary music for free download. These are based on editions in the public domain, and include works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Handel, Mozart, and many others."
Thematic Catalogues and other Reference materials
Use Thematic Catalogues to identify and verify the works of specific composers. They are called thematic as they often also include incipits - the music of the first few bars from the opening of each work and usually from each subsequent movement or section of the work.
A range of composer thematic catalogues is shelved in the
music library in alphabetical order by composer name at UniM Music REF 016.78092.
Examples are:
- Köchel's catalogue for Mozart's works, from which we get the identifying 'K.' numbers ;
- the Hoboken catalogue for Haydn ;
- and the BWV catalogue for J.S. Bach.
To find out if there is a thematic catalogue for your composer, search library catalogues including the keywords 'thematic catalogs'. NOTE the spelling of 'catalogs'. If there is a completed Collected Edition for that composer, a thematic catalogue may not be necessary.
The following bibliography may also be useful:
- Brook, Barry S. UniM Music REF 016.78 BROO
Thematic catalogues in music : an annotated bibliography / by Barry S. Brook and Richard Viano. 2nd ed. Stuyvesant, NY : Pendragon Press, c1997. (Annotated reference tools in music; no. 5)
Subject : Music -- Thematic catalogs -- Bibliography.
There are also thematic catalogues for particular genres or instrumentation. e.g.
- JAPPE, Michael. UniM Music REF 787.3193 JAPP
Viola Bibliographie : das Repertoire für die historische Bratsche von 1649 bis nach 1800 : kommentiertes thematisches Verzeichnis / zusammengestellt im Auftrag der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis von Michael und Dorothea Jappe. Winterthur : Amadeus, 1999, c1998
Subject : Viola music -- 17th century -- Thematic catalogs.
Subject : Viola music -- 18th century -- Thematic catalogs.
Subject : Chamber music -- 17th century -- Thematic catalogs.
Subject : Chamber music -- 18th century -- Thematic catalogs.
In our Reference Collection, there may be useful books giving lists, bibliographies or discographies of musical works. The composer thematic catalogues (mentioned above) are shelved in the composer sequence - UniM Music REF 016.78092 but there are other options.
a) It is easy to browse the Reference Collection. Use what you know of the classification arrangement to go directly to the specific instrumental or genre sequence.
For example:
- Music REF 016.7824.. or 782.4.. - Secular Vocal Music - Airs, Madrigals, popular and children's songs, etc. - Research guides and Bibliographies
- Music REF 016.7825.. - Chamber Music and repertoire - Research guides and Bibliographies
- Music REF 016.7862.. - Piano, Clavichord or Harpsichord and respective repertoire - Research guides and Bibliographies
b) Use the library catalogue to find these lists. Use the KEYWORD search and include terms such as 'bibliography', 'discography', 'catalogs', etc.
For example: