Last revised: August 2008

Identifying and Locating Musical Sources:
A Guide to RISM and other Resources

Scope: Manuscripts and early printed editions are primary sources and are invaluable to the musical scholar and student. Identifying, locating, and using primary sources can be an extremely complex process, however. This guide is an attempt to introduce students to the basics of research into musical sources. All materials are located in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library unless otherwise indicated. Remember that reference assistance is available by inquiring at the Reference and Circulation desk. E-mail subject area specialist Steve Henry (shenry@umd.edu) or call (301) 405-9256 for more information.

Introduction to Musical Sources

Both the New Grove and Harvard Dictionary have introductory articles on "Sources" which should be consulted. The article in the New Grove is exceptionally thorough.

• The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians, 2nd ed. New York: Grove's Dictionaries of Music, 2001.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML100.G887 (vols. 23 and 24, or search these headings in the online version)
  ONLINE: Available through Research Port as part of Oxford Music Online (access limited to UM students/faculty/staff, and to patrons in the libraries).

  • "Sources, MS"
    I. Introduction, vol. 23, p.792
    II. Western plainchant, vol. 23, p.817
    III. Secular monophony, vol. 23, p.846
    IV. Organum and discant, vol. 23, p.868
    V. Early motet, vol. 23, p.874
    VI. English polyphony 1270-1400, vol. 23, p.877
    VII. French polyphony 1300-1420, vol. 23, p.882
    VIII. Italian polyphony c1325-c1420, vol. 23, p.888
    IX. Renaissance polyphony, vol. 23, p.892

  • "Sources of instrumental ensemble music to 1630", vol. 24, p.1

  • "Sources of keyboard music to 1660", vol. 24, p.19

  • "Sources of lute music", vol. 24, p.39

• Randel, Don Michael, ed. The Harvard dictionary of music. 4th ed. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University, 2003.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML100.H37 2003
  
  • "Sources (pre-1500)", p.811

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RISM: Répertoire international des sources musicales

• A/I-II -- Inventory of printed music and manuscripts by composer, 1600-1800
  • A/I -- Einzeldrucke vor 1800 = Printed music before 1800, 15 vols. to date. (Kassel, 1971 - ).

  • A/II -- Music manuscripts after 1600. Four databases in one:

    RISM Series A/II: Music Manuscripts after 1600
    The RISM Series A/II Database contains bibliographic records of music manuscripts written after 1600. The records include information in standard bibliographic categories as well as graphical images of over 740,000 music incipits.

    RISM Composer
    The RISM Composer Database contains more than 28,500 composer names taken mostly from RISM series A/I and A/II. The composers are researched in standard music dictionaries as well as in local special literature.

    RISM Libraries Sigla
    he RISM Libraries Sigla Database identifies more than 6,250 libraries worldwide that hold music materials relevant to RISM series. All libraries are identified by name and RISM siglum. Other information provided may include the addresses.

    RISM Bibliographic Citations Database
    The RISM Bibliographic Citations Database contains references for all thematic catalogues and other secondary sources cited in the RISM A/II Music Manuscripts Database.

  One RISM A/II database freely available online is
  Music Manuscripts (1600 to 1800) in British and Irish Libraries
  [http://www.rism-ukie.org/hms/home.php?publiclogin=1]

• B/I-II -- Printed music in collections, 1500-1799
  • B/I -- Lesure, François. Recueils imprimés, XVIe-XVIIe siècles: liste chronologique = Printed collections, 16th-17th centuries: chronological list. (München-Duisberg, 1960).
  • B/II -- Lesure, François. Recueils imprimés, XVIIIe siècle. (München-Duisberg, 1961). [Note: Supplement in François Lesure, "Recueils imprimés, XVIIIe siècle (RISM, B II) Supplement," Notes 28 (1971-72): 397-418.

• B/III -- The theory of music from the Carolingian age (c. 9th century) to c.1500
  • B/III/1 -- Waesberghe, Joseph Smits van. The theory of music from the Carolingian era up to 1400, I: descriptive catalogue of manuscripts (München-Duisberg, 1961).

  • B/III/2 -- Fischer, Pieter. The theory of music from the Carolingian era up to 1400, II: Italy (München-Duisberg, 1968).

  • B/III/3 -- Huglo, Michel, and Christian Meyer. The theory of music: manuscripts from the Carolingian era up to c.1500 in the Federal Republic of Germany (München, 1986).

  • B/III/4 -- Huglo, Michel, and Nancy C. Phillips. The theory of music: manuscripts from the Carolingian era up to c.1500 in Great Britain and in the United States of America (München, 1992).

  • [B/III/5] -- Meyer, Christian, et al. The theory of music from the Carolingian era up to c.1500: descriptive catalogue of manuscripts: Nachträge zu Deutschland, Österreich, Slowakei, Tschechei, Ungarn, Spanien, Schweden. (München, 1997).

  • [B/III/6] -- Ruino, Cesarino, et al. The theory of music from the Carolingian era up to c.1500: descriptive catalogue of manuscripts: Nachträge zu Italien und Frankreich. (München, 2003).

• B/IV -- Manuscripts of polyphonic music, 11th-16th centuries
  • B/IV/1 -- Reaney, Gilbert. Manuscripts of polyphonic music: 11th-early 14th century (München-Duisberg, 1966).

  • B/IV/2 -- Reaney, Gilbert. Manuscripts of polyphonic music (c.1320-1400) (München-Duisberg, 1969).

  • B/IV/1-2 Suppl. -- Wathey, Andrew. Manuscripts of polyphonic music: the British Isles, 1100-1400 (München, 1993).

  • B/IV/3-4 -- von Fischer, Kurt, and Max Lütolf. Handschriften mit mehrstimmiger Musik des 14., 15., und 16. Jahrhunderts (München-Duisberg, 1972).

  • B/IV/5 -- Bridgman, Nanie. Manuscrits de musique polyphonique, IVe et XVIe siècles: Italie (München, 1991)

• B/V -- Manuscripts of tropes and sequences

  • B/V/1 -- Husmann, Heinrich. Tropen-und Sequenzen Handschriften (München-Duisberg, 1964)

  • [B/V/2] -- Deusen, Nancy van. Katalog der mittelalterlichen Sequenzen. (In preparation)

• B/VI -- Printed writings about music, to 1800
  • B/VI/1-2 -- Lesure, François. Écrits imprimés concernant la musique. (München-Duisberg, 1971).

• B/VII -- Lute and guitar tablatures
  • B/VII -- Boetticher, Wolfgang. Handschriftlich überlieferte Lauten- und Gitarrentabulaturen des 15. Bis 18. Jahrhunderts (München-Duisberg, 1978).

• B/VIII -- The German hymn
  • B/VIII/1 -- Ameln, Konrad, et al. Das deutsche Kirchenlied: kritische Gesamtausgabe der Melodien: Verzeichnis der Drucke von den Anfängen bes 1800 (Kassel,1975); Register (Kassel, 1980)

• B/IX -- Hebrew sources of music and music theory

  • B/IX/1 -- Adler, Israel. Hebrew notated manuscript sources up to circa 1840: a descriptive catalogue with a checklist of printed sources (München, 1989)

  • B/IX/2 -- Adler, Israel. Hebrew writings concerning music in manuscripts and printed books from Geonic times up to 1800 (Kassel, 1975); Register (Kassel, 1989)

• B/X -- Arabic sources of music and music theory
  • B/X -- Shiloah, Amnon. The theory of music in Arabic writings (c.900 - 1900): descriptive catalogue of manuscripts in libraries of Europe and the U.S.A. (München, 1979)

  • B/X A -- Shiloah, Amnon. The theory of music in Arabic writings (c.900 - 1900): descriptive catalogue of manuscripts in libraries of Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Russia, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, and supplement to B X (München, 2003).

• B/XI -- Ancient sources of music and music theory

  • B/XI -- Mathieson, Thomas J. Ancient Greek music theory: a catalogue raisonné of manuscripts (München, 1988)

• B/XII -- Persian sources of music and music theory
  • B/XII -- Massoudieh, Mohammed Taghi. Manuscrits persans concernant la musique: catalogue (München, 1996)

• B/XIII -- Sources of hymnody (In preparation)

• B/XIV -- Manuscripts of processionals (liturgical books)
  • B/XIV/I -- Huglo, Michel. Autriche á Espagne (München, 1999)
  • B/XIV/II -- Huglo, Michel. Autriche á France à Afrique du Sud (München, 2004)

• B/XV -- Masses transmitted in sources from Spain, Portugal and Latin America

  • B/XV -- Urchueguía, Cristina. Mehrstimmige Messen in Quellen aus Spanien, Portugal und Lateinamerika, ca. 1490-1630: Drucke, Handschriften und verlorene Quellen (München, 2005)