Last revised: August 2009

20th-Century Music History

Scope: This guide provides a selective list of tools for research into 20th-century 'classical' music. It should be used in conjunction with the UM Libraries Basic Music Reference Guide.
[http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/music-basic.html]
For more information, email librarian Steve Henry (shenry@umd.edu) or call 301-405-9256.

Bibliographies of Music Literature

I. Comprehensive sources

• Carlson, Effie B. A Bio-bibliographical Dictionary of Twelve-Tone and Serial Composers. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML105.C39

• Hettinger, Sharon L. American organ music of the twentieth century: an annotated bibliography of composers. Warren, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press, 1997.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML106.U3H47 1997

• Hoek, D. J. Analyses of nineteenth- and twentieth-century music, 1940-2000; incorporating material by Arthur Wenk. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press and Music Library Association, 2007.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML113.H695 2007
  Index to musical analyses of works from Beethoven to 2000.

• Lawrence, Ian. The twentieth-century string quartet: an historical introduction and catalogue. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2001.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML128.C4 L37 2001

• McLoskey, Lansing D. Twentieth century Danish music: an annotated bibliography and research directory. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML120.D3M35 1998

• Music of the twentieth-century avant-garde: a biocritical sourcebook, edited by Larry Sitsky. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML390.M9574 2002

• Vander Weg, John Dean. Serial music and serialism: a research and information guide. New York ; London: Routledge, 2001
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML110 .S37 2001

Recent years have seen an explosion of bibliographies, especially of 20th century composers. Bio-Bibliographies in Music, [http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/series/Bio-Bibliographies+in+Music.aspx] published by Greenwood Press, are not listed below. So far, 99 titles have been issued in this series. Most owned in the PA Library are classified REF ML134.

Barber

• Wentzel, Wayne C. Samuel Barber: a guide to research. New York: Routledge, 2001.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.B175 W46 2001

  Bartók

• Antokoletz, Elliott. Béla Bartók: a guide to research. 2nd ed. New York: Garland, 1997.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.B18A7 1997
  A model of the bibliographer's art by an eminent Bartók scholar.

  Bernstein

• Laird, Paul R. Leonard Bernstein: a guide to research.New York: Routledge, 2002.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.B512 L35 2002

• The online guide to the Leonard Bernstein Collection at the Library of Congress presents scripts, photographs, essays, and the finding aid to the complete collection. [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lbhtml/lbhome.html]

  Carter

• Link, John F. Elliott Carter: a guide to research. New York: Garland Pub
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.C19 L56 2000

  Copland

• Robertson, Marta, and Robin Armstrong. Aaron Copland: a guide to research. New Yok: Routledge, 2001.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.C66 R63 2001

• The online description of the Aaron Copland Collection at the Library of Congress includes the definitive list of the Complete Works of Aaron Copland, with annotations. [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/copland/]

  Delius

• Huismann, Mary Christison. Frederick Delius: a guide to research. New York: Routledge, 2005.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.D293 H85 2005
  

  Elgar

• Craggs, Stewart R. Edward Elgar: a source book. Aldershot, Hants, England: Scolar Press, 1995.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.E613C7 1995
  

  Fauré

• Phillips, Edward R. Gabriel Fauré: a guide to research.New York : Garland Pub., 2000.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.F29 P55 2000

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Hindemith

• Luttmann, Stephen. Paul Hindemith: a guide to research. New York: Routledge, 2005.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.H5 L87 2005
  

  Ives

• Sherwood, Gayle. Charles Ives: a guide to research. LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.I9 S44 2002
  

• Sinclair, James B. A descriptive catalogue of the music of Charles Ives. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.I9S56 1999

  Kodály

• Houlahan, Micheál. Zoltán Kodály: a guide to research. New York: Garland Pub., 1998.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.K64 H68 1998

  Ravel

• Zank, Stephen. Maurice Ravel: a guide to research. New York: Routledge, 2005.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.R19Z36 2005

  Reynolds

• The online guide to the Roger Reynolds Collection at the Library of Congress describes works of a composer whose creative life continues in the 21st century. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/rreynolds/rreynolds-home.html]

  Sibelius

• Dahlstrom, Fabian. Jean Sibelius: thematisch-bibliographisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Hartel, 2003.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.S56A15
  A beautifully-produced thematic catalog; see National Library of Finland description. [http://www.nationallibrary.fi/infoe.html]

• Goss, Glenda Dawn. Jean Sibelius: a guide to research. New York: Garland, 1998.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML134.S49 G67 1998

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Indexes and Abstracts

• Bomberger, E. Douglas. An index to music published in The Etude magazine, 1883-1957. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press: Music Library Association, 2004.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML5.E857 Index
  Lists music by issue publication date, composer, text author, and instrumentation.

• Bull, Storm. Index to biographies of contemporary composers, 2 vols. New York: Scarecrow, 1964-1974.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML105.B9
  Indexes over 100 sources for biographical information on close to 10,000 composers.

• Modern Music, Published by The League of Composers 1924-1946: an analytic index. Compiled by Wayne D. Shirley. New York: AMS Press, 1976.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML1.M1782
  No mere index of authors and titles of articles, this index provides access to myriad names mentioned and subjects treated in the 23 volumes of this seminal periodical published during the early years of American modernism.

• Nishimura, Mari. The twentieth-century composer speaks: an index of interviews. Berkeley: Fallen Leaf Press; Tokyo: In association with the Kunitachi College of Music, Library, 1993.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML118.N57 1993
  Citations to more than 1000 interviews published in nine European languages between 1949 and 1987. Arranged by composer, with indexes to subjects and interviewer.

• Williams, Michael D. Source: music of the avant garde; annotated list of contents and cumulative indices. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Music Library Association, 1978.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML1.S672 1978
  Source (1967-1973) published eleven issues of avant-garde scores by composers who were not widely known at the time. Articles and recordings were also included. All are indexed here.

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Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Anderson, E. Ruth. Contemporary American composers: a biographical dictionary. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1976.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML390.A54 Folio
  Twenty years old, but still one of the best resources for identifying obscure American composers.

• Butterworth, Neil. Dictionary of American classical composers. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2005.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML106.U3B87 2005
  650 entries, many including portraits. Most American composers lived into or were born in the 20th century. Includes names not found in other standard reference works.

• Cattell, Jacques. Who's who in American music, Classical. 2nd ed. New York: Bowker, 1984.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML106.U3W6 1985
  Provides brief entries of performers, composers, and other musical figures.

• Contemporary composers. Chicago: St. James Press, 1992.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML390.M677 1992 Folio

• Ewen, David. Musicians since 1900: performers in concert and opera. New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1978.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML105.E97

• International who's who in classical music and International who's who in popular music London: Routledge, 2006 continue the International who's who in music and musician's directory. Cambridge, England: Int'l Who's Who in Music.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML 105. I54 2006 (Classical) and ML105.W4421 2006 (Popular)
  Older editions are at ML105.W4
  

• Slonimsky, Nicolas. Baker's biographical dictionary of twentieth-century classical musicians. Edited by Laura Kuhn; associate editor, Dennis McIntire. New York : Schirmer Books,1997.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML105.S612 1997
  

• Taruskin, Richard. The Oxford history of western music New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML160.T18 2004
  Volume 4: The early twentieth century, Volume 5:The late twentieth century and Volume 6: Chronology, bibliography, master index.
  

• Thompson, Kenneth. A Dictionary of 20th century composers, 1911-1971. New York: St. Martin's, 1973.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML118.T5 1973b
  Provides extensive coverage of thirty-two of major composers. Includes work lists and bibliographies for Bartok, Berg, Bloch, Busoni, Debussy, Delius, Elgar, Falla, Faure, Hindemith, Holst, Honegger, Ives, Janacek, Kodaly, Mahler, Martinu, Nielsen, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Roussel, Satie, Schoenberg, Sibelius, Strauss, Stravinsky, Varese, Vaughan Williams, and Webern.

• Vinton, John, ed. Dictionary of contemporary music. New York: Dutton, 1974.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML100.V55
  A dictionary of article-length definitions of terms. Includes profiles of major composers.

• Women and music in America since 1900: an encyclopedia edited by Kristine H. Burns. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML82.W625 2002 (Two vols.)
  Includes women musicians (not only composers) in all genres of music and in music education.

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Discographies and Sources Related to Recorded Sound

• Basic discographies [http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/music-basic.html#four]

• Eisenberg, Evan. The recording angel: music, records and culture from Aristotle to Zappa, 2nd edition. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.
  LOCATION: PA LIB STACKS
  CALL NUMBER: ML1055.E35 2005
  A pioneering social history of how recordings affect people's perception and definition of 'music' that first appeared in 1987. The second edition preserves the original text and adds an afterward about digital recordings and file sharing. In June 2006, this was named by the UK's Observer Music Monthly one of the 50 greatest music books ever. [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,1797454,00.html]

• Elste, Martin. Modern harpsichord music: a discography. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML156.4.H3E47 1995

• Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry describes and presents highlights from the Berliner Collection at the Library of Congress. [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/berlhtml/berlhome.html]

• Oja, Carol. American music recordings: a discography of 20th century U.S. composers. New York: ISAM, 1982.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML156.2.A45 1982
  An important listing of recordings of American composers, both famous and obscure. Comprehensive for its time.

• Perlis, Vivian. Composers' voices from Ives to Ellington: an oral history of American music. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.
  LOCATION: PA LIB STACKS
  CALL NUMBER: ML390.P37 2005
  A multi-media source for transcripts of oral histories (the print book), the sounds of composers voices and some of their music (the accompanying two CDs), and online transcripts of spoken parts of the CDs (click on "CD Transcript" on that page). [http://www.yale.edu/oham/framebook.html]

• Schaeffer, John. New sounds: a listeners guide to new music. New York: Harper and Row, 1987.
  LOCATION: PA LIB STACKS
  CALL NUMBER: ML197.S235 1987
  A now 'classic' annotated commentary on what sounded new in the 1980s, including some early and world music which was then 'new for Western ears.' The author hosts the radio program New Sounds on WNYC. [http://www.wnyc.org/shows/newsounds/]

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Chronologies

• Burbank, Richard D. Twentieth century music. New York, N.Y.: Facts on File, 1984.
  LOCATION PA LIBRARY FOLIO
  CALL NUMBER: ML197.B85 1984
  A chronology covering 1900-1979 of "facts, thoughts, and ideas about music." Nicolas Slonimsky's introduction states that the author's selection of "quotations from the contemporary press, both in praise of the events and otherwise, provide a panorama of extraordinary effect of an art in flux, an evolution of new forms, an ermegence of new ideas."

• Hall, Charles J. A Twentieth-Century Musical Chronicle: Events 1900-1988. New York: Greenwood, 1989.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML197.H15 1989
  

• Slonimsky, Nicolas. Music Since 1900. 5th ed. New York: Scribner, 1994.
  LOCATION: PA LIB REF
  CALL NUMBER: ML197.S634 1994
  A classic in a field the author calls "creative chronology of music." Not only includes a complete chronology from 1900-1991 but also a number of letters and documents not readily available elsewhere. A dictionary of terminology is appended.

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