Late 18th-Century Music History
Scope: This guide is intended to provide the user with a selective list of basic tools for research into the history of late 18th-century music, the so-called classical era. For specific tools relating to the identification of early music sources, consult the guide Identifying and Locating Musical Sources: A Guide to RISM and other Resources.. E-mail the subject area specialist at bjdopp@umd.edu or call (301) 405-9256 for more information.
Table of Contents
Bibliographies of Music Literature
- Brook, Barry S., and Richard Viano. Thematic catalogues in music: an annotated bibliography, 2nd ed. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1997.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML113.B86 1997
A comprehensive guide to thematic catalogs, many of which are not included in Duckles. - Brown, A. Peter, et al. Joseph Haydn in Literature: A Bibliography. Munich: Henle, 1974.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: REF ML134.H5B7
A one volume comprehensive source-book for writings related to Haydn. More than twenty years old but still useful for retrospective searching of literature. - Diamond, Harold J. Music analyses: an annotated guide to the literature. New York: Schirmer, 1991.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML113.A7D5 1991
Provides the researcher with a one volume source for identifying analyses of specific works. Covers all historical periods. - Duckles, Vincent, and Ida Reed. Music reference and research materials: an annotated bibliography, 5th ed. New York: Schirmer, 1997.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML113.D83 1997
The standard bibliography of reference resources in music. Even though it purports to be a selective guide to the literature, there are 3,801 citations. Classified by type of reference tool (dictionaries and encyclopedias, histories and chronologies, guides to musicology, bibliographies of music literature, bibliographies of music, etc.). Includes a comprehensive index. - Grave, Floyd K., and Margaret G. Grave. Franz Joseph Haydn: a guide to research. New York: Garland, 1990.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.H272 G74 1990 - Hastings, Baird. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: a guide to research. New York: Garland, 1989.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.M9H34 1989 - Heintze, James R. Early American music: a research and information guide. New York: Garland, 1990.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML120.U5H46 1989 - Hill, George R. A preliminary checklist of research on the classic symphony and concerto to the time of Beethoven (excluding Haydn and Mozart). Hackensack: Boonin, 1970.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML128.O5H44 - Landon, H.C. Robbins. The symphonies of Joseph Haydn. London: Universal, 1955. Supplement, London: Barrie and Rockliff, 1961.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML410.H4L28 + Suppl.
A comprehensive guide to sources, editions, and stylistic features of Haydn's symphonic output. - Lowens, Irving. Haydn in America. Detroit: Information Coordinators, 1979.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML410.H4L7
A bibliography of sources and first editions of Haydn in the United States with a study of Haydn autographs by Otto Albrecht. - Marco, Guy A., et al. Information on music: a handbook of reference sources in European languages. Littleton: Libraries Unlimited, 1975-.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML113.M33
An attempt to survey comprehensively music reference works in a variety of formats. Six volumes were planned, but the project seems to have been halted at three volumes (3,700 citations). - Nathan, Hans. William Billings: data and documents. Detroit: Information Coordinators, 1976.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML410.B588N4 - Paymer, Marvin E. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi: a guide to research. New York: Garland, 1989.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.P613P4 1989 - Schnoebelen, Anne. Padre Martini's collection of letters in the Civico Museo Bibliografico Musicale in Bologna: an annotated index. New York: Pendragon, 1979.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.M438S3
Martini was a composer, theorist, teacher, and historian of the eighteenth century who compiled one of the largest music libraries in Europe of that time. He had wide correspondence with many important musicians of the day. - Surian, Elvidio. A Checklist of writings on 18th century French and Italian opera (excluding Mozart). Hackensack: Boonin, 1970.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML128.O4S9
Indexes and Abstracts
America: History and Life
LOCATION: NETWRK WWW (1964 - )
One of the major sources for research on history for the United States and Canada. Provides abstracts of journal articles, books and dissertations.Historical Abstracts
LOCATION: NETWRK WWW (1964 - )
One of the major sources for research on history outside of the United States and Canada. Provides abstracts of journal articles, books and dissertations.- Music index
LOCATIONS: NETWRK WWW (1979 - ); Print Version:REF ML118.M84 (1949 - )
An index of more than 690 international music periodicals, encompassing nearly all aspects of classical, popular, folk, and world music. Includes citations for articles, dissertations, obituaries, and reviews. - RILM / Répertoire internationale de la litterature musique
LOCATIONS: NETWRK WWW (1967 - ); Print Version; ML1.I83 (1967 - )
An international bibliography of over 275,000 scholarly writings on music and related disciplines in 140 languages. RILM indexes articles, books, conference proceedings, bibliographies, catalogues, dissertations, festchriften, iconographies, critical commentaries to complete works, ethnographic recordings and videos, reviews and more.
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
- Baker, Theodore. Baker's biographical dictionary of musicians. Revised by Nicholas Slonimsky, 8th ed. 6 vols. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML105 .B16 2001
The standard biographical dictionary of music. Primarily covers figures from the western classical tradition and includes composers, performers, and scholars. Witty and engaging with lively writing. - Blume, Friedrich. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: allgemeine Enzyklopedie der Musik, 17 vols. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1949-86.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML100.M92
The standard German language music encyclopedia and a reference work of the highest scholarly quality. Available only in German but still useful even for those with a rudimentary command of the language. The new edition, currently being published over a 10 year period, is about 50% completed. - Clive, Peter. Mozart and his circle: a biographical dictionary. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1993.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML410.M9C55 1993
A biographical dictionary covering people associated with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. - Marcuse, Sibyl. Musical instruments: a comprehensive dictionary. New York: Norton, 1975.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML102.I5M37 1975
A handy one-volume dictionary of musical instrument names. Excellent descriptions of the instruments, but no pictures. Cross-cultural in coverage with cross references to different names of the same instruments. - Randel, Don, ed. The new Harvard dictionary of music. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1986.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF, MCKREF STKS
CALL NUMBER: ML100.R3
The latest edition of the most widely-used one-volume English language dictionary of music. Exhaustive coverage of the western classical tradition and basic coverage of world music, but little coverage of popular idioms. No biographies of musicians and composers. - Randel, Don, ed. The Harvard biographical dictionary of music. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1996.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML105.H38 1996
A dictionary of short biographical sketches of composers and musicians. Covers primarily figures in the western classical tradition, but includes popular and jazz figures as well. - Sadie, Stanley, ed. The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians. 2nd ed. 29 vols. NY: Grove's Dictionaries of Music, 2001.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML100.G887
The most important English-language encyclopedia, also availabe online at Grove Music Online. The online version contains the fulltext of the 2nd edition as well as the fulltext of The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. There a number of offshoots to the print version that may be of interest to those studying 18th-century music: The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, 4 vols.; The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, 3 vols.; The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, 4 vols.; and The New Grove Dictionary of Women Composers (in US, The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers). - Thompson, Oscar. The international cyclopedia of music and musicians, 10th ed. New York: Dodd and Mead, 1975.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML100.T47 1975 Folio
An older resource, but still very useful for identifying musicians and composers of earlier ages who may have dropped out of the repertory.
Discographies and Sources Related to Recorded Sound
- Bielefelder klassik katalog (Germany, 1979 - present)
- R.E.D. classical catalogue (U.K., 1997 - present)
- Schwann opus (U.S.A., 1992 - 2000)
- Schwann spectrum (U.S.A., 1992 - 1999)
- Clough, Francis F., and Geoffrey J. Cuming. The world's encyclopedia of recorded music. London, 1952 + 2 suppls.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML156.2.C6 1970
An historical discographical survey of all classical sound recordings through the 1950s. Referred to as WERM (pronounced "worm") by afficionados. Arranged alphabetically by composer. - Marco, Guy A. Encyclopedia of recorded sound in the United States. New York: Garland, 1993.
LOCATION:PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML102.S67E5 1993
A dictionary of terms, names, and companies associated with the history of recording in America.
The above are national attempts to list commercial recordings currently in print. The most recent issues are located in the Current Periodical section of the Performing Arts Library
Bibliographies of Music, Catalogs of Music Collections, and Thematic Catalogs
BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND CATALOGS OF COLLECTIONS
- Britton, Allen Perdue, Irving Lowens, and Richard Crawford. American sacred music imprints 1698-1810: a bibliography. Worcester, MA: American Antiquarian Society, 1990.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML128.H8B68 1990
A lavishly produced descriptive bibliography of early American tunebooks. Includes the works of Billings, Read, Belcher and other singing-school masters. - The catalogue of printed music in the British Library to 1980, 62 vols. New York: K.G. Saur, 1981.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML136.L8B62
At more than one million entries, an extraordinary effort. Especially good for identifying works from the British Isles and Europe. - Charles, Sydney Robinson. A handbook of music and music literature in sets and series. NY: Schirmer, 1972.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF, LIBSCH STKS
CALL NUMBER: ML113.C45
A bibliography of and index to continuations in the field of music. Includes both printed music and literature about music. - Dictionary catalog of the music collection, New York Public Library. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1965.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML136.N4P8 + suppls.
Facsimile of the card catalog of one of the finest music collections in the world. Updated by Bibliographic guide to music. - Fuld, James J. The book of world famous music: classical, popular, and folk, 4th. ed. New York: Dover, 1995.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML113.F8 1995
One of the finest bibliographies of music ever created despite its commonplace title. Traces the publication history of well known works. - Heyer, Anna Harriett. Historical sets, collected editions, and monuments of music, 3rd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 1980.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML113.H52 1980
Often it is difficult to locate individual works in historical sets, collected works of composers, and national monuments. Both Charles and Heyer will help you with this. The composer work lists in The New Grove are also usually good for identifying pieces in collected editions. - Hill, George, and Norris Stephens. Collected editions, historical series & sets, & monuments of music: a bibliography. Berkeley: Fallen Leaf Press, 1997. (Fallen Leaf reference books in music, 14)
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML113.H55 1997
Continuing in the tradition of Heyer, this new edition is a reworking and updating of the older edition. The electronic index has been promised for some time now, and the bibliography is essentially useless without it. Therefore, it is especially important to keep the older Heyer within reach. - Sonneck, O.G. Bibliography of Early Secular American Music. Rev. and enlarged by William Treat Upton. Washington: Library of Congress, Music Division, 1945.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML120.U5S6 1945
Don't let the early date fool you. This is the best source to identify early American sheet music. Contains other treasures as well, such as a bibliography of early writings about music.
- Bryan, Paul Robey. Johann Wanhal, Viennese Symphonist: His Life and His Musical Environment. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1997. (Thematic catalogues no. 23)
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML410.V243 B79 1997 - Bryant, Stephen C., and Gary W. Chapman. A melodic index to Haydn's instrumental music. New York: Pendragon, 1982.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.H272B7
A thematic locater for Hoboken's catalog. - Helm, E. Eugene. Thematic catalogue of the works of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.
LOCATION: PA LIB RE
CALL NUMBER: ML134.BO8A2 1989 - Hoboken, Anthony van. Joseph Haydn: Thematisch-bibliographisches
Werk-verzeichnis. Mainz: Schott, 1957. 3 vols.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.H272H6
The standard thematic catalog to Haydn's music. - Jenkins, Newell, and Bathia Churgin. Thematic catalogue of the works of Giovanni
Battista Sammartini: orchestral and vocal music. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1976.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.S16A2 - Koechel, Ludwig Ritter von.Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichnis saemtlicher Tonwerke W. A. Mozarts.
Wiesbaden: Breitkopf and Hartel, 1964.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.M9K55 1964
The famed Koechel catalog and source of the Mozart K. numbers. - Kroeger, Karl. Catalog of the musical works of William Billings. New York: Greenwood, 1991. (Music reference collection, 32)
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.B582K7 1991
Catalog of the most important American composer of the 18th century. - Larsen, Jens Peter. Three Haydn catalogues , 2nd ed. New York: Pendragon, 1979.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.H272A1 1979
A facsimile of three thematic catalogs compiled by Haydn himself. - LaRue, Jan. A catalogue of 18th-century symphonies. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML128.S9L37 1988
A comprehensive thematic identifier for 18th c. symphonies. - Mozart, W.A. Mozart's thematic catalogue: a facsimile. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press, 1990.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.M9A17
Mozart's catalog of his own music from 1784 to 1791. - Paymer, Marvin E. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi 1710-1736: a thematic catalogue of the opera omnia. New York: Pendragon, 1977.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.P613A35 - Sherman, Charles H., and T. Donley Thomas. Johann Michael Haydn (1737-1806): a chronological thematic catalogue of his works. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1993. (Thematic catalogues no. 17)
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML134.H28A33 1993 Folio
Miscellaneous Tools
- Berkowitz, Freda Pastor. Popular titles and subtitles of musical compositions. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1975.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML113.B39 1975
This is the source to use when you know the piece in question is called the Beethoven Eroica symphony, but not that the actual title is Symphony no. 3 in E-flat major, opus 55. - Barlow, Harold, and Sam Morgenstern. A dictionary of musical themes, rev. ed. New York: Crown, 1975.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML128.I65B3 1975 - Barlow, Harold, and Sam Morgenstern. A dictionary of opera and song themes, rev. ed. New York: Crown, 1976.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML128.V7B3 1976
What do you do when you know a tune but don't know what it is? The above two sources provide indexes to the primary melodic themes of the standard instrumental and vocal literature. Each item provides a musical incipit. The incipits are indexed and may be identified by reproducing the tune. With the Parsons book, can answer 90% of those types of questions. - Gleason, Harold, and Warren Becker. Early American Music: Music in America from 1620-1920, 2nd ed. Bloomington, IN: Frangiapani, 1981.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML200.G55 1981 Folio
An outline history of music in the U.S.A. from its beginnings to the 20th-century. Very good on the 18th- and 19th-centuries. - Hall, Charles J. An Eighteenth-Century Musical Chronicle: Events 1750-1799. New York: Greenwood, 1990. (Music reference collection, 25)
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML195.H28 1990 - Kassler, Jamie Croy. The science of music in Britain, 1714-1830: a catalogue of writings, lectures, and inventions, 2 vols. New York: Garland, 1979.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML120.G7K34 - Parsons, Denys. The directory of tunes and musical themes. Cambridge: Spencer Brown, 1975.
LOCATION: PA LIB REF
CALL NUMBER: ML128.I65P33
Popularly know as "The Up-Down Book" it works as a tune identifier by indexing melodic contour. Includes both classical works and popular songs, but nothing from the last 25 years. Covers materials found in Fuld.
