Music 241: History and Literature of Music I
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Research and Instruction Librarian for Music & Fine Arts
Finding Scores in Catalyst
As a musician, you'll probably want to look at musical scores! It can be tricky to get Catalyst to show you scores instead of books. This video demonstrates how to use filters to tell Catalyst what formats you want.
Scholarly Scores
Depending on your research interest, you may find it helpful to work with a scholarly edition of a score.
Scholarly score editions have call numbers beginning M2 or M3. They are intended for research, not performance, and so they often include a "critical apparatus" -- basically, section explaining all the different source scores the editors consulted, the differences between them, biographical information about composers, premieres, commissions, and other useful information.
Useful Editions Based on Time Periods
- Recent Researches in the Music of the Baroque EraCall Number: M2 R3Excellent for music by Baroque composers who aren't Bach or Handel or Vivaldi.
Some online, some in print (bound in dark green). - Recent Researches in the Music of the RenaissanceCall Number: M2 .R4Covers a wide variety of composers besides Josquin des Prez!
Some online, some in print (bound in orange). - Recent Researches in the Music of the Middle Ages and Early RenaissanceCall Number: M2 R25So many mass settings! But also secular music!
Some online, some in print (bound in rusty brown).
Useful Editions Based on Geographic Locations
- Musica BritannicaCall Number: M2 M8For all the Anglophiles in class; please note that some volumes will fall outside the time period covered in this class.
- Denkmäler der Tunkunst in Österriech/Musical Monuments of AustriaCall Number: M2 D36Musical works from what is now Austria. Most of the critical commentary will be in German.
Useful Editions Based on Composers
Collected works for other composers are shelved in the M3s, alphabetized by the composer's last name. Here are some series that might be useful.
- Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae/Body of Measured MusicCall Number: Not shelved together; each volume is shelved under the relevant composer.Late Medieval and early Renaissance music, mostly from Franco-Flemish and Italian composers.
The "measured" part of the title just means, "Yay, they figured out how to notate rhythm!" - Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke -- BachCall Number: M3 B2 1954The complete works of J.S. Bach. The individual volumes are not cataloged in Catalyst; browse the stacks to see what is there. Critical commentary is in German.