In this guide you will find step-by-step methods to help you find printed and digital scores:

• Printed Scores - How to search the Library catalogue more effectively to find music scores.
• Uniform Titles - How to use Uniform Titles to search for music scores.
• Original Language - How to use Original Language to search for music scores.
• Collected Editions - How to search for these complete works of composers.
• Online & Digital Score Collections - How to find digital scores available online.

Use Advanced Keyword search

An advanced keyword search allows you to combine the surname of the composer, the title of the music score and narrow the scope of the search to retrieve only music scores in the displayed results.

Search Tips for Scores

• Include composer's surname
• Include the instrument (piano, violoncello, violin)
• Use the plural of the music genre (sonatas, suites, concertos) - See Uniform Titles tab.
• Use unique numbers. Enter the numbers only. If the score is Opus 101, only enter 101.

Your search should look something like this:

If you are unsure of the correct title or unique number of the music score you are searching for, refer to the Oxford Music Online (Grove Online) Database.

Search Databases for Oxford Music Online (Grove Online)

From the Oxford Music online database, search for composer by surname. For example, Mozart. This will display a list of associated results for Mozart. Select the Biography entry for Wolfgang Armadeus Mozart.

From the composer's Biography page, select the 'works' tab.

Different titles and languages can be used to describe any one piece of music. For example, the same piano concerto by Mozart can appear as:

• Concerto in A major for piano, K.488
• Konzert A Dur, K.488 fur Klavier
• Piano concerto in A Major, K.488

To allow for these variations in titles, music scores are catalogued using 'Uniform Titles'. Uniform Titles are collective titles that group similar forms of a composer's music together. For example, all of Mozart's symphonies are grouped by symphonies, concertos are grouped by concertos. This is why it's important to search the plural form (concertos, sonatas, etudes, suites) in your keyword search.

The Uniform Title for the above example would appear in the catalogue as:

• Concertos, piano, orchestra, K.488, A major

Note the uniform title (above) is in English. The plural 'concertos' is used as Mozart composed more than one concerto. If you're unsure whether the composer wrote more than one particular genre form, place an asterisk at the end of the word (concerto*, sonata* etude*). This will search for all variations such as concerto, concertos.

Using Uniform Titles will help to improve your search results, so it's a good idea to be familiar with them!

Opera arias, art songs and other lyrical works are written in the original language of the composer.

For example, Bizet's opera 'Pearl Fishers' will appear in the catalogue as 'Les Pecheurs de perles'. If you are unsure of the original language of the title, you can refer to Oxford Music Online (Grove online) to find the exact title.

Search Databases for Oxford Music Online (Grove online)

From the Oxford Music Online Database keyword search the composer's surname and words from the opera title. (Bizet Pearl Fishers)

Once you have located the title in its original language, search the title using a keyword search in the Library catalogue

What is a Collected Edition?

Collected Editions (AKA Gesamtausgabe or Complete Editions) include the complete works of a particular composer. Musicologists, who've studied manuscripts and primary sources to determine the composer's original intention, compile Collected Editions. These editions are published over a number of years and some contain over 100 volumes.

Why are Collected Editions useful?

Collected Editions tend to be used as a source for study rather than performance. They are useful to identify the original intention of the composer and for historical study of music. Collected Editions are also useful to refer to when individual scores are not available. As Collected Editions contain the complete works of a composer, the individual work can be sourced from the Collected Edition instead.

Where can I find Collected Editions in the Library?

Located at M3 in the Architecture & Music Library. Please note they cannot be borrowed.

How can I find a particular work in a Collected Edition?

Search the Oxford Music Online (Grove Online) Database to locate works within Collected Editions.

Search by the composer's surname. Select the composer's Biography entry from the list of results. From the Biography entry, select the 'works' tab, which lists the composer's complete works. Beside each work in the table is a section listing which volume of the Collected Edition that particular piece is in. In some cases, there will be more than one set of complete works.

For example, Bach's works are listed as BG (Bach-Gesellschaft) and NBA (Neue Bach-Ausgabe)

If a printed score isn't available, you can also try searching online for digitised music scores. Digitisation projects across international collections mean that an increasing number of scores are now available online. Here is a small selection of digital scores sites:

• Alexander Streeet Press Classical Scores Library
• Music Australia
• IMSLP Petrucci Music Library
• Digital Scores & Libretti, Loeb Music Library, Harvard University