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Selected Music Books List

Selected Sources for Classical Music

NOTE: This section also includes sources for general information that may also be useful in other areas (i.e., jazz or popular music). The entries here are very basic sources only, and do not represent all relevant sources for any particular research project.

Garland Composer Resource Manuals
Garland Publishers produces a series of books called the Composers Resource Manuals, offering up-to-date information on research on major composers. Each volume offers annotated lists of writings in all major languages about one or two composers, as well as lists of works by the composers, biographical sketches, guides to library resources, organizations, and specialists. In order to find out if we have a volume of the Composer Resource Manual series covering a particular composer, you can search the following title in the Library Catalog:
Garland Composer Resource Manuals
This will bring up an index listing all the volumes in this series.

Thematic Indexes
Thematic indexes, also called thematic catalogs, are indexes to a group of musical compositions. They often include the opening notes (called incipit) for each composition. These types of indexes are primarily used for listing works of individual composers and are valuable research sources. Most composer thematic indexes give descriptions of a composer's entire output, including title, opus or other identification number, full description and location of autographs or sketches, bibliographical description of first editions, and other important information for each piece. Opus or other identifcation numbers from these indexes are often used in uniform titles.

The Music Reference collection contains thematic indexes for many of the most important composers. These thematic indexes can be found in the Music Reference section with the base call number of ML134.

Brief Bibliography of Music Reference Resources
Arnold, Denis, ed. The New Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 1983.
Music Ref. ML100 .N5 1983

Baker, Theodore. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. Centennial ed., Nicolas Slonimsky, editor emeritus. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001.
Music Ref. ML105 .B16 2001

Slonimsky, Nicholas. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Classical Musicians. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Music Ref. ML105 .S612 1997

Duckles, Vincent H. and Michael Keller. Music Reference and Research Materials : An Annotated Bibliography. 5th ed. New York: Schirmer ; London: Collier Macmillan, 1997.
Music Ref. ML113 .D83 1997

Heyer, Anna Harriet. Historical Sets, Collected Editions, and Monuments of Music : A Guide to Their Contents. 3rd ed. 2 vols. Chicago: American Library Association, 1980.
Music Ref. ML113 .H52 1980

International Repertory of the Music Literature (Organization). RILM Abstracts. New York: RILM, 1967-
Available ONLINE

International Who's Who in Music and Musician's Directory. Cambridge: Melrose Press, 1992.
Music Ref. ML105 .I5

Musical America : International Directory of the Performing Arts. New York: Musical America Publications, 1974--
Music Ref. ML12 .M88 (Latest ed. in Music Ref.)

Randel, Don Michael, ed. The New Harvard Dictionary of Music.Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1986.
Music Ref. ML100 .N485 1986

Sadie, Stanley and H. Wiley Hitchcock, eds. The New Grove Dictionary of American Music. 4 vols. New York: Grove's Dictionaries of Music, 1986.
Music Ref. ML101.U6 N48 1986

Sadie, Stanley, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd ed. 29 vols. London: Macmillan Publishers; New York, NY: Grove's Dictionaries, Inc., c2001.
Music Ref. ML100 .N48 2001
Also available ONLINE.

Sadie, Stanley, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. 3 vols. London ; New York: New Grove's Dictionaries of Music, 1984.
Music Ref. ML102.I5 N48 1984

Sadie, Stanley, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. 3 vols. New York: Grove's Dictionaries of Music, 1992.
Music Ref. ML102.O6 N5 1992
Also available ONLINE as part of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Selected Sources for Jazz, Blues, and Soul

Carner, Gary, ed. Jazz Performers : An Annotated Bibliography of Biographical Materials. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1990.
Music Ref. ML128.B3 C37 1990

Feather, Leonard. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Music Ref. ML102.J3 F4 1999

Gold, Robert S. Jazz Talk. Indianapolis: Bobb-Merrill Co., 1975.
Music Ref. ML102.J3 G62

Herzhaft, Gerard. Encyclopedia of the Blues. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press, 1997.
Music Ref. ML102.B6 H413 1997

Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd ed. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd.; New York: Grove's Dictionaries, Inc., 2002.
Music Ref. ML102.J3 N48 2001
Also available ONLINE as part of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Lord, Tom. The Jazz Discography. 25 vols. West Vancouver, B.C., Canada: Lord Music Reference, c1992-
Music Ref. ML156.4.J3 L67 1992

Meadows, Eddie S. Jazz Research and Performance Materials: A Select Annotated Bibliography. 2nd ed. New York: Garland, 1995.
Music Ref. ML128.J3 M33 1995

Stambler, Irwin and Lyndon Stambler. Folk and Blues: The Encyclopedia. 1st ed. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2001.
Music Ref. ML102.F66 S73 2001

Jazz-related Internet Sites and Sources of Information

See also Music: Selected Internet Resources (Jazz Performers and Organizations)

Chicago Jazz Archives (www.lib.uchicago.edu/LibInfo/Libraries/CJA/)
Joseph Regenstein Library
University of Chicago
1100 E. 57th St.
Chicago, IL 60637
(312) 702-3721

Institute of Jazz Studies (http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/jazz/jazz.shtml)
John Cotton Dana Library
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Campus at Newark
185 University Ave.
Newark, NJ 07102
(973) 353-5595

William Ransom Hogan Archive of New Orleans Jazz (www.tulane.edu/~lmiller/JazzHome.html)
Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA 70118-5692
(504) 865-5688

Selected Sources for Musical Theatre and Film Music

Bloom, Ken. American Song: The Complete Musical Theatre Companion. 2nd ed. New York: Facts on File, 1996.
Music Ref. ML128.M78 B6 1996

Bloom, Ken. Hollywood Song: The Complete Film & Musical Companion. New York: Facts on File, 1995.
Music Ref. ML128.M7 B6 1995

Gänzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre. 2nd ed. 3 vols. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001.
Music Ref. ML102.M88 G3 2001

See also Music: Selected Internet Resources (Music Theatre and Film)

Selected Sources for Popular, Folk, and Country Music

Gamond, Peter. The Oxford Companion to Popular Music. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Music Ref. ML102.P66 G35 1991

Hardy, Phil and David Laing. The Faber Companion to 20th-century Popular Music. London ; Boston: Faber and Faber, 1990.
Music Ref. ML102.P66 H37x 1990

Larkin, Colin, ed. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. 3rd ed. London; New York: Muze; New York: Distribution in the USA by Grove's Dictionaries, 1998.
Music Ref. ML102.P66 G84 1998

Lissauer, Robert. Lissauer's Encyclopedia of Popular Music in America. 1st ed. New York: Paragon House, 1991.
Music Ref. ML128.P63 L57 1996

Stambler, Irwin and Lyndon Stambler. Folk and Blues: The Encyclopedia. 1st ed. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2001.
Music Ref. ML102.F66 S73 2001

Popular and Country Music Related Sources of Information and Internet Sites

Center for Popular Music (http://popmusic.mtsu.edu/)
Middle Tennessee State University
Box 41
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132
(615) 898-2449

Country Music Foundation Library and Media Center
4 Music Square East
Nashville, Tennessee 37203
(615) 256-1639

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