Research Guides: Primary Sources: Finding Primary Sources in Music

Primary Resources in Music

DEFINING PRIMARY RESOURCES IN MUSIC

Primary sources of a musical work can include the following:

Autograph/Holograph ( the composer's original manuscript)
Copies (handwritten by another person: student, professional copyist, monastic scribes)
First edition
Early editions ( could be edited by someone close the the composer)
Scholarly editions ( edits made by scholar or a musician known for knowledge of composer)
Collected editions ( complete works of composer published in scholarly edition - could show variations found in the above sources)

ACCESSING PRIMARY SOURCES IN MUSIC

For printed facsimiles of manuscripts you can search in WorldCat by composer and/or title of a work and use the following subject headings:

(Composer's name) - Manuscripts - Facsimiles
For medieval collections:
- Manuscripts, Latin - Facsimiles
- Sacred vocal music - Manuscripts - Facsimiles
- Chants (Plain, Gregorian, etc.) - manuscripts = Facsimiles
- Polyphonic chansons - Manuscripts - Facsimiles

These may be available through Interlibrary loan.

Listed below are locations for finding primary resources in music found on the Jerry Falwell Library website as well as online.

Primary Resources on the Jerry Falwell Library Website

Ethnographic Video Online This link opens in a new window
Streaming video of human culture, behavior and society around the world, including ethnographic films, documentaries, select feature films, and previously unpublished fieldwork
Music & Performing Arts This link opens in a new window
Audio and video that spans all time periods and includes seminal artists, composers, choreographers, and ensembles
Music Online: American Music This link opens in a new window
Audio streams of sound recordings of songs by and about American Indians, miners, immigrants, slaves, children, pioneers and cowboys as well as songs of Civil Rights, political campaigns, Prohibition, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, anti-war protests, and more
Music Online: Contemporary World Music This link opens in a new window
Audio streams of sound recordings of music of all regions from every continent, including reggae, worldbeat, neo-traditional, world fusion, Balkanic jazz, African film, Bollywood, Arab swing, and jazz, Indian classical, fado, flamenco, klezmer, zydeco, gospel, gagaku, and more
Music Online: Jazz Music Library This link opens in a new window
Audio streams of sound recordings of jazz, including a variety of artists, ensembles, albums, and genres
Music Online: Opera in Video This link opens in a new window
Video of the most important opera performances, including staged productions, interviews, and documentaries that represent the world’s best performers, conductors, and opera houses and are based on a work’s importance to the operatic canon
Music Online: Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries This link opens in a new window
Audio streams of sound recordings of the world's musical and aural traditions in diverse musical forms

Other Online Locations for Primary Resources in Music

Some libraries have produced photographic reprints of early printed editions. These are usually available through Interlibrary Loan.

Aaron Copland Collection

5,000 images found in the Library of Congress dating from 1899 to 1981 selected from Copland's music sketches, correspondence, writings, and photographs

Chopin Early Editions

400 first and early printed editions of musical compositions by Chopin found in the Chopin collection at the University of Chicago Library.

Digital Scores and Libretti

The Harvard Library makes available historical editions including first and early editions and manuscript copies of music from the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Composers include J.S. Bach, Schubert, versions of 19th century opera scores and music of the Second Viennese School.

Europeana - Music

Explore recordings, sheet music, instruments and music-related collections from European audio-visual archives, libraries, and museums.

John Philip Sousa

Selected manuscripts, photographs, printed music, and historical recordings of the Sousa Band as well as programs and press clippings

Library of Congress (US) - Performing Arts

Contains a variety of collections including sheet music, ethnographic sound recordings, and videos from the performing arts. One special collection is the Chasanoff/Elozua "Amazing Grace" Collection Database with more than 3000 recorded performances by different musicians and ensemble.