Music Performance and Research: Basic Reference Works
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
The Harvard dictionary of music. Don Michael Randel, ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press, 2003. MUSIC REF ML100 .A64 2003
The standard English language, non-biographical music dictionary. Provides accurate, pertinent information on all music topics. Includes selective bibliographies.
The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians. Stanley Sadie, ed. London: Macmillan, 2001. 29 vols.
MUSIC REF ML100 .N48 2001
The standard English language comprehensive music encyclopedia. Entries on music history, composers, theory and practice, musical instruments, and terms. Online version is Oxford Music Online (see below)
Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (MGG). 2d ed. Kassel ; New York : Bärenreiter, 1994-2008. MUSIC REF ML100 .M92 26 vols.
The most important German-language general music encyclopedia.
Specialized Works
The new Grove dictionary of American music. Stanley Sadie and H. Wiley Hitchcock, eds. London: Macmillan, 1986. 4 vols. MUSIC REF ML101 .U6 N48 1986
The new Grove dictionary of musical instruments. Stanley Sadie, ed. London: Macmillan, 1984. 3 vols. MUSIC REF ML102 .I5 N48 1984
The new Grove dictionary of opera. Stanley Sadie, ed. London: Macmillan, 1992. 4 vols. MUSIC REF ML102 .O6 N5 1992
The encyclopedia of popular music. Colin Larkin, ed. 4th ed. New York: Muze UK; Oxford University Press, 2006. 10 vols.
MUSIC REF ML102 .P66 G84 2006
The Garland encyclopedia of world music. Bruno Nettl and Ruth M. Stone, eds. New York: Garland. 10vols. MUSIC REF ML102 .P66 G84 Note: ebook versions of each volume are listed separately in OneSearch. Recordings are not included in these.
Important Historical Works
Walther, Johann. Musikalisches Lexicon. 1732; reprint Kassel; Baerenreiter. MUSIC REF ML100 .W21 1967 Online
Tinctoris, Johannes. Dictionary of Musical Terms: An English Translation... (originally published in 1495). MUSIC REF ML108 .T513
- Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new windowThis music compendium, itself a part of Oxford music online, includes the New Grove dictionary of music and musicians, the New Grove dictionary of opera, and the New Grove dictionary of jazz.
- Encyclopedia of Popular Music This link opens in a new window
Important Historical Works
Biographical Dictionaries
Fetis, Francois-Joseph. Biographie universelle des musiciens. 1835-40; 2d ed., 8 v., 1877-78. MUSIC REF ML105 .F422 1972. Online
Eitner, Robert. Biographisch-bibliographisches Quellen-Lexikon der Musiker und Musikgelehrten...bis Mitte des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts. Online
MUSIC REF ML105 .E4 1959
Histories
Burney, Charles. A General History of Music, from the earliest ages to the present period (1789). 4 vols., 1776-89. ML159 .B96 1935 Online
Martini, Giovanni Battista. Storia della musica. 3 vols., 1757-71. ML159 .M3 1967 (3 vols. in 1) Online
Hawkins, John. A General History of the Science and Practice of Music. 5 vols., 1776. ML159 .H39 1963 v. 1-2 Online
Forkel, Johann J. Allgemeine Geschichte der Musik. 2 vols., 1788-1801. ML159 .F67 2005 v.1-2 Online
Other compendiums
- Oxford History of Western Music This link opens in a new windowThe Oxford History of Western Music is an extensive history of western music from noted musicologist Richard Taruskin.
- Music - Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window"Oxford Bibliographies in Music combines the best features of a high-level encyclopedia and a traditional bibliography in a style tailored to meet the needs of today’s online researchers. Each article, written and reviewed by top scholars in the field, is rich with citations and annotations, expert recommendations, and narrative pathways to the most important works for virtually all areas of music (Oxford University Press)."
- Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new windowThis series brings together "over 300 volumes spanning fifteen subject areas across the humanities and social sciences, with a concentration on political and cultural history, literature, philosophy, religious studies, music and the arts (Cambridge University Press)." Rice University owns access to this series through 2023.
- Cambridge Companions Online This link opens in a new windowThese guides "offer lively, accessible introductions to major writers, artists, philosophers, topics, and periods... It is fully searchable by author, title, topic, or theme (Cambridge University Press)." Rice University has access to the full collection through 2023.
Primary Source References
RISM (International Inventory of Musical Sources): This source, produced by the International Musicological Society and the International Association of Music Libraries, includes lists of manuscripts and early printed editions in libraries around the world.
Series A/I Einzeldrucke vor 1800 (printed editions before 1800)
Series B Music Ref ML113 .I6 S. B: Individual volumes of series B cover the following topics (see complete list in the New Grove "RISM" article)
- Hebrew notated manuscript sources up to circa 1840
- The Theory of Music in Arabic writings, c. 900-1900
- Hebrew Writings Concerning Music
- Ancient Greek Music Theory
- Das Tenorlied
- Das Deutsche Kirchenlied
- Handschriflich uberlieferte Lauten-und Gitarrentabulaturen des 15. bis 18. Jahrhunderts (Lute and Guitar Music mss. 1500s to the 1800)
- The Theory of Music: Mss. from the Carolingian era up to c. 1500 in Great Britain and the U.S.
- Recueils imprimes: XVIIIe siecle
- Mss. of polyphonic music: The British Isles, 1100-1400.
- Mss. of polyphonic music: 15th and 16th centuries, Italy.
- RISM Series A/II: Music Manuscripts after 1600 This link opens in a new windowSeries A/II, an international locator for music manuscripts created after 1600.
Subject Guide
More Biographical Sources
Baker's biographical dictionary of musicians. 9th ed. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. 6 vols. MUSIC REF ML105 .B16 2001. Online
The Harvard biographical dictionary of music. Don Michael Randel. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Pr., 1994. ML105 .N48 1994 Online
Contemporary composers. Chicago: St. James, 1992. brian Morton and Pamela Collins, eds. MUSIC REF ML390 .C66 1992