In Reference
Basic Reference Sources
- Harvard Dictionary of Music (Ref ML 105 H38 1996)
- The best single-volume dictionary of musical terms. An excellent source for basic definitions.
- The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (Ref ML 100 N48 2001 or Online Grove)
- The most comprehensive source for entries on people, terms, countries, genres, time periods, etc.
- Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (Ref ML 105 B16 2001 or Ref ML 105 B164)
- An excellent source for basic biographies of musicians from all time periods and genres.
- Sampsel, Laurie. Music Research: A Handbook (Ref ML 113 S28 2009)
- A useful and easy to use guide to music research. Explains terms, lists important resources, and breaks down resources into types.
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Ref ML 128
- Collection of Bibliographies by genre, instrument, ensemble, or time period.
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Ref ML 134
- Section of reference books on composers (arranged alphabetically by composer). You can find books, articles, recordings, and many more resources that you may not be able to find online or in the Queens College libraries listed in the Bio-Bibliographies and Research Guides.
Bio-Bibliographies — Consists of a brief biography and an extensive bibliography, or list of sources, on the composer or musician. Usually includes a complete list of works.
Research Guides — An extensive bibliography, or list of sources, with most items being briefly explained and evaluated.
Thematic Catalogue — A list or index of compositions of a single composer or of a collection or repertory of music. Each composition or movement is identified by the opening notes and/or principal themes in music notation.
In Collected Works & Historical Sets
- Reference scores generally consist of Collected Works and Historical Sets. Collected Works, sometimes also called Complete Works, compile the entire works of a single composer in a series and can be found in Ref M 3 (arranged alphabetically by composer). Historical Sets consist of works of a particular region, time period, and/or genre. Many hard-to-find works can be found in these sets. These are shelved in Ref M 2.
Please note that some series are still being published. Some volumes may not be published yet. See the books listed below or Prof. Oates for more information.
Heyer, Anna Harriet. Historical Sets, Collected Editions, and Monuments of Music: A Guide to Their Contents. Ref ML 113 H52 1980- To find a specific piece within a composer’s collected edition or in a particular historical set or monument of music, look up the composer or title of the set or monument in volume 1. Look for the piece within the given edition. Find the Collected Edition, Historical Set, or Monument of Music on the shelf (use CUNY+ to find the call number if necessary) and select the appropriate volume.
If you need further assistance, please ask for help at the circulation desk.
- To find a specific piece within a composer’s collected edition or in a particular historical set or monument of music, look up the composer or title of the set or monument in volume 1. Look for the piece within the given edition. Find the Collected Edition, Historical Set, or Monument of Music on the shelf (use CUNY+ to find the call number if necessary) and select the appropriate volume.
- New Grove Entries
- Many composer entries in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians include the series and volume number for works within composer’s collected works in the Complete Works list at the back of the article. Be sure to look at the Complete Works key to decipher the abbreviations. (Note: Not all entries have this information.)
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Reihe, Heft, Abteilung: What do they mean?
- Collected Works and Historical Sets are often organized in multiple volumes and series. Some are as simple as volumes 1, 2, 3, etc. while others are more complicated with series, sub-series, and volumes within the sub-series. Most only have series and volumes.
- Series (may also be called Reihe)
- Workgroup (also known as Werkgruppe)
- Section (also known as Abteilung)
- Volume (may also be called Band)
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For Example, the first portion of Mozart’s Neue Ausgabe (New Complete Works) breaks down like this:
- Series I: Sacred Choral Works
- Workgroup 1: Masses and Requiem
- Section 1: Masses
- Volume 1
- Volume 2
- Etc.
- Section 2: Requiem
- Section 3: Litanies and Vespers
- Volume 1: Litanies
- Volume 2: Vespers
- Etc.