Finding Music Materials in the Library Catalog
A DePaul Libraries Research Guide

 

The library catalog contains information on these DePaul Libraries materials:

NOTE: Sound recordings added to the collection prior to 1981 are listed in the Sound Recordings Catalog in the Viewing/Listening Room of the John T. Richardson Library at the Lincoln Park Campus.

Composer and generic title (e.g., sonata, symphony, concerto)
Composer and distinctive title
Works by a composer
Shorter musical works (e.g., songs, piano sonatas)
Performers and performing groups
Music for a particular instrument or type of music
Limiting to printed music
Limiting to compact discs
Limiting to videos and interactive multimedia
Broadening a search
Narrowing a search
Subject searching

SCORE AND SOUND RECORDING SEARCHING

To find:

A composition when you know the composer and the title is a genre name (e.g., sonata, symphony, concerto)

1. Use an Advanced Search. Enter the composer's last name on one line, changing the Search by: qualifier to Author Words, and as much of the title as you know on the second line, changing the Search for "these words as a phrase" to "all of these words". For better retrieval, enter the genre name in its plural form (e.g., sonatas, symphonies, concertos).
2. Click on Search.
3. Display the full record of a relevant item.
Notice the Uniform Title of the work (displayed immediately after the composer's name). Include elements of this title in a new search if you need to retrieve more materials.

Examples:

beethoven / symphonies 5 c minor
mozart / piano concertos a minor k 488
haydn / piano sonatas

A composition when the title is distinctive (e.g., Marriage of Figaro)

1. Use an Advanced Search. Enter the composer's last name on one line, changing the qualifier to Author Words, and, preferably, the original-language title on the second line, changing the Search for "these words as a phrase" to "all of these words".
If unsure of the original-language title, enter what you know of the title or consult a reference work such as The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
2. Click on Search.
3. Display the full record of a relevant item.
Notice the Uniform Title of the work (displayed immediately after the composer's name). Include elements of this title in a new search if you need to retrieve more materials.

Examples:

mozart / nozze di figaro [instead of marriage of figaro]
Stravinsky / vesna sviashchennaia [instead of rite of spring]
schubert / gretchen am spinnrade

Works by a composer

1. In a Quick Search, enter the composer's last name followed by the first name or initial.
2. Select a Prolific Author/Composer search.
3. Click on Search.
4. Browse the headings displayed (select next or previous for more headings, notice how many titles are available for each heading, and select a heading to display the items.
If See Also appears in the Item # column, click to see related name headings that may be useful in refining your search.
HINT: To jump ahead in a long headings list, cut and paste the composer's name & dates into a new Quick Search Search for: box, add a title, e.g., Symphonies, and select a Prolific Author/Composer search.
5. Alternatively, select an Advanced Search, enter the composer's name and change the Search by: to Author Words.
 
Examples:

beethoven ludwig van
satie erik
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791 symphonies
Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827. sonatas piano


Shorter works (such as songs and many piano works)

These will be in collections or anthologies of similar works. If the above strategies don't work, broaden your search by searching for general anthologies or collections (e.g., song collections).
1. Use an Advanced Search. Enter the composer's last name on one line, changing the Search by: qualifier to Author Words, and the genre name in plural form (e.g., songs) on the second line, changing the Search for: to all of these words.
2. Click on Search.
 
Examples:

liszt / piano music
schubert / songs

3. If you are looking for songs in printed anthologies, also use a song index such as the Sears Song Index. To locate song indexes, do a Quick Search Subject search for "Songs indexes" or search the UTK Song Index (http://www.lib.utk.edu/music/songdb/).

4. If all else fails, most compositions can be found in a composer's collected works. Find by performing an Advanced Search using the composer's name, changing the Search by: qualifier to Author Words, and the word, works on the second line, changing the Search for: qualifier to all of these words.
 
Examples:
 
schubert franz / works
mozart wolfgang / works

To find the composition within a collected works edition, use the bibliography at the end of the article on the composer in the The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (R. 780.3 G883 d2001) or use Anna Harriet Heyer's Historical Sets, Collected Editions, and Monuments of Music (R.780H615h3).

Recordings by performers or performing groups

1. For individual performers, enter the last name followed by the first name or initial.
2. Select a Quick Search Author search [or add names to an Advanced Search for a particular composition or composer].
3. Browse the headings displayed (select next or previous for more headings), notice how many titles are available for each heading, and select a heading to display the items.
If See Also appears in the Item # column, click to see related name headings that may be useful in refining your search.
4. If the list is too long, perform a new search in an Advanced Search. First set limits by selecting More Limits and limit by Primary format to Music recordings. Click on Set Limits then go to the Advanced Search. Change the Search by: qualifier to Author Words, then enter the performer's last name and first name. Then click on Search.

Examples:

Upshaw Dawn
Chicago Symphony
Beatles
 
 
Music for a particular instrument or groups of instruments

1. In an Advanced Search, enter the name(s) of the instrument(s) and the word music.

2. Change the Search by: qualifier to Subject Words and click on Search.
 
Examples:

clarinet music
flute piano music
wedding music
 
 
Limiting to printed music

Limit to Musical score in More Limits before entering any terms. Then use an Advanced Search to find items.


Limiting to Compact discs

In an Advanced Search, add to a search on a separate line the phrase compact disc?, and select these words as a phrase. The ? ensures that you retrieve recordings with multiple discs.

Alternatively, select More Limits to limit by Primary Format to Music Recording, then perform an Advanced Search and Sort results by Newest First. Compact discs will be displayed first.
Examples:

schubert / erlkonig / compact disc?
mahler / symphonies / compact disc?


Limiting to videos and interactive multimedia

Use one of the following strategies:


TO BROADEN A SEARCH

1. In an Advanced Search enter the composer's last name followed by a first name.
2. Change the Search by: qualifier to Subject Words.
3. Alternatively, expand your search to a musical genre (e.g. sonatas, songs)
Examples:

beethoven ludwig
stravinsky igor


TO NARROW A SEARCH

A. Include more elements of the uniform title in an Advanced Search (e.g., piano sonatas op 13 rather than just sonatas, or symphonies c minor instead of just symphonies).
NOTE: See UNIFORM TITLES below.

B. Limit the search to a particular format (music scores, musical recordings, videos):
Under More Limits choose Primary formats, then use the drop-down menu to select the type of material, e.g., Book, Music score, Musical recording, Films/Videos/DVDss, etc.


SUBJECT SEARCHING

To find:

Books about music history

1. In an Advanced Search, enter a subject term or terms.
2. View full records of items retrieved and look at terms in the Subject field for ideas of other terms to try.
3. If more materials are needed, broaden your search by changing the Search by: qualifier to Any Words.
4. If you fail to find useful information, select Quick Search, enter a term, and choose Subject. Browse the headings displayed (select next or previous for more headings, notice how many titles are available for each heading, and select a heading to display the items.
If See Also appears in the Item # column, click to see related headings that may be useful in refining your search.

Examples:

music 20th century
African Americans music

Books about composers or performers

1. Use a reference book such as The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians to determine the correct spelling of a name.
2. In an Advanced Search enter the last and first names.
3. Change the Search by: qualifier to Subject Words.
4. Browse the titles displayed (select next or previous for more listings), and display the full record of relevant titles for more information on an item, including Subject headings.
5. If a Subject search is unsuccessful, broaden your search to find books on a particular musical period (e.g. 18th century music) or genre (e.g. concertos). If you retrieve too many non-book materials, click on Change Limits and select under Primary Format.
Examples:

Handel George
Coltrane John


UNIFORM TITLES

For questions or comments about music searching, contact Robert Acker, Music Bibliographer, at racker@depaul.edu.


< BR> © 2007 DePaul University Libraries.