Library Guides: Music Library Guide: Scores for Performance & Research

Core Terminology

Editions

Autograph Score: A manuscript written in the handwriting of the composer (as opposed to a copyist's hand).

Critical Edition (Sometimes called Scholarly Edition): This edition is edited by one or more expert authorities. These expert authorities are typically scholars associated with a university but they may also be independent scholars. Their area of expertise is typically on that composer, the musical time period, or both.

The goal of a critical edition is to represent the composer's original intentions as closely as possible. This is achieved through close study of manuscripts, autograph scores, first editions, related correspondence, and sometimes first hand accounts of early performances.

Performing or Practical Edition: These editions are intended for use by performers. While they may be based on a critical edition, they may also have additional bowings, breath marks, pedaling, and other performance marks provided by editors. Editors of performance scores are typically well-known performers of that instrument.

Facsimile Edition: This is a duplication of the manuscript score. In some cases, these are exceedingly high quality and seek to replicate the original all the way down to paper shape and binding. In other cases, they are quality photocopies of scores that haven't been typeset; this is increasingly common for contemporary works.

Types

Mini Score, Miniature Score, Pocket Score: These are three ways to refer to the same type of score. They're small size makes them easy to carry and transport around. Print size is reduced to make it possible.

Full Score: This type includes all the parts written out in full and in their original instrumentation.

Reduction: This type of score takes many instruments and reduces them into one or two instruments. For example, an opera or musical is often reduced to voice with piano; an orchestral work is often reduced to piano four-hands (2 pianos).

Piano-Vocal Score: This is a type of reduction used for arias excerpted from operas as well as musical theatre sets. The vocal line is the main voice part while all the other instruments have been reduced to be performed by piano.

Score + Parts: The score shows all the individual voices together, and the parts are used by individual performers. These are typical of ensemble works such as piano trios, quartets, and similar small ensembles, as well as for solo works with piano.

Fakebook: A collection of music from popular Western genres, such as jazz, R&B, and pop music. They typically include the melodic line fully written out with more abbreviated notation for the rest of the instruments. Sometimes they only additional notations are guitar tab and/or the chord names, enable the musicians to learn their parts more easily from ear or improvise.

Lead Sheet: Common to jazz music, these include the main melodic line, lyrics if there are any, and the basic harmonic structure.

Finding Repertoire

In addition to simply browsing the online and physical collections, the resources identified here can be used to surface music that perfectly fits your need.

Boulanger Initiative Database This link opens in a new window

African Diaspora Project
Institute for Composer Diversity
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A database that surfaces music created by composers from historically underrepresented genders, racial, ethnic, and cultural heritages, and sexual orientations as well as disabled composers.

Books at ML128: Books providing extensive repertoire lists by instrument, ensemble type, and even region.

E-Scores for Study & Performance

This short video offers a quick overview of the strengths of each our subscription e-score databases.

Music Online: Classical Scores Library This link opens in a new window
Performance EditionsAccess to scores from all time periods and compositional styles. Features include: mark-up, downloading, printing, sharing.
Formerly known as Classical Scores Library, this database contains 400,000 pages of the most important classical scores and manuscripts, allowing for the study and analysis of more than 15,000 scores. Tulane University has access to Music Online: Classical Scores Library, Volumes I, II, III, and IV.

Contemporary Music Score Collection This link opens in a new window
Performance Editions. Open access scores submitted by living composers.

Art Song Central
Performance Editions. Printable sheet music for singers and voice teachers. An emphasis is placed on standard classical and traditional repertoire.
The Public Domain Song Anthology: With Modern and Traditional Harmonization
The Public Domain Song Anthology by David Berger and Chuck Israels is a collection of 348 popular songs with modern and traditional harmonization for both study and performance. This open educational resource was curated by two leading jazz repertory experts and consists of songs in the US public domain.
Vocal Music Instrumentation Index
Performance Editions.
A catalog of Bach cantatas searchable by instrumentation. Each entry includes links to public domain and open access editions of performing scores.

IPA Source This link opens in a new window
A library of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions and literal translations of opera arias and art song texts.
Sheet Music Consortium This link opens in a new window
Historical & Performance Editions. Primarily sheet music from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Content Warning: Due to cultural practices of the time period most represented in this collection, there are pieces with text and images that are overtly racist in nature. The materials are included here as representatives of cultural history for the purpose of cultural research; they in no way reflect contemporary values by any of the contributing institutions.
WLSCM - Web Library of Seventeenth-Century Music This link opens in a new window
Performance Editions. Downloadable editions of previously unpublished 17th century musical works.

International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)/Petrucci Music Library
Performance Editions.
Includes classical and popular music of older editions now in public domain. Note, due to changes in editorial rigor, some editions found here may not be accepted by major performance competitions.
Beethoven-Haus Bonn Digital Archives
Historical Editions & Associated Materials
Digital access to manuscript scores, letters, and other items at the Beethoven Haus Museum.
Online Chopin Variorum Edition
Historical Editions
Provides digital access to manuscripts and first editions.
Neue Mozart Ausgabe
Historical Editions
NMA Online [Complete Works of Mozart] Digitized version of scores for personal study and for educational and classroom use.
Web Library of Seventeenth-Century Music
Performance Editions
Critical editions of music from the 17th century researched, edited, and produced by members of the Society for Seventeenth-Century Music.
Early Music Online
Historical Editions
This collection holds digitized images of some of the world's oldest surviving volumes of printed music.
Cambridge Digital Library - Music
Historical Editions
Includes digital access to manuscripts, early editions, and other related archival music materials.
Music Treasures Consortium
Historical Editions
The Music Treasures Consortium provides online access to the world's most valued music manuscripts and print material.

Physical Scores for Study & Performance

Each tab provides ranges of call numbers you can browse on the shelves for specific types of music for each instrument. You will also find a few recommended books on performance style and about the history of each instrument.

All books in the M, ML, and MT call number range are located on the 6th floor.

Method Books

Etudes & Exercises: MT405

Methods: MT402

Orchestral studies & Excerpts: MT406

Performance Pieces

Bassoon & piano, collections (including sonatas, suites, etc.): M253

Bassoon & piano, individual works: M254

Concertos: M1027

Solo pieces: M75-M79

Bibliographies of Bassoon Music

The index of bassoon music including the index of baroque trio sonatas by Wayne Wilkins
Call Number: ML128.B25 W5
Publication Date: 1976
An Index of Excerpts and an Overview of Published Orchestral Bassoon Excerpt Collections with a Comparison of Three Collections by Tama Kott
Call Number: ML128.B26 K68 2004
ISBN: 0773464786
Publication Date: 2004

Books About the Bassoon

The Way of Cane by Eric Arbiter
Call Number: ML951 .A73 2020
ISBN: 9780190919610
Publication Date: 2020
The Bassoon by James B. Kopp
Call Number: Online or Print, ML950 .K66 2012
ISBN: 9780300118292
Publication Date: 2012-07-31

Books on Performance Style

The techniques of bassoon playing by Pascal Gallois
Call Number: MT400 .G35 2009
ISBN: 9783761818602
Publication Date: 2009
A performer's guide to music of the Romantic period by Anthony Burton
Call Number: ML457 .P476 2002
ISBN: 1860961940
Publication Date: 2002
A Performer's Guide to Renaissance Music by Jeffery Kite-Powell (Editor)
Call Number: online and ML 457 .P48 2007
ISBN: 9780253348661
Publication Date: 2007-08-02