Welcome
Introduction
For several assignments in music theory, you need to find musical examples in scores by various composers. Finding scores in the library can be difficult, so here are some suggestions for your searching.
If you need additional help, please come to the Performing Arts Collection on the second floor of Campbell Library, where someone will be able to assist you during operating hours.
Subject Librarian
1. Start With a Known Composer or Work
While there are anthologies of composers by various ethnicities and genders, most of the scores in the Performing Arts Collection are organized by genre, and then by composer. Composers of all kinds are mixed in together (though they are dominated by dead white men [thanks musical canon! {eye roll}]), and subject headings generally do not list any demographic information about the composer. In that case, it is best to start with someone that you are searching for. Suggested lists can be found at the bottom of this page.
2. Limit Your Search to Scores:
In Library Search (primo.rowan.edu), there are options to limit your search by format, either before or after searching. This will weed out all of the books, recordings, articles, and reference entries about your composer or piece.
You can use limiters on the side of the search results (here I just searched for "Amy Beach"):
Or you can start in the advanced search, by limiting to scores only:
You can also use the search box below:
3. Find your score in the Performing Arts Collection (PAC)
Every score in the PAC will be assigned a call number, which functions like an address for finding it on the shelf. At Campbell Library, and at most university libraries, we use the Library of Congress Classification System. It can be tough to understand these numbers, but here is a helpful website that gives you a brief overview: https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit03/libraries03_04.phtml
The call number can be found in each record for a physical item in Library Search, either in the brief record displayed while searching:
Or twice in the full record:
Call numbers are "read" left to right on each individual shelf in a unit. The shelves are read top to bottom. When you have reached the bottom, then you move to the right to the next unit. A collection of units is called a "range," and there are helpful guides to tell you which call numbers can be found in each range. For example, this Amy Beach score would be found in the range below, because M 512 falls between M 219 and M 557 (and it's a quintet!)
Composers Who are Women
There are several places that you can find lists of women who are composers. Remember, that for this assignment, composers who were active between 1750 and 1900 will probably be the most useful for your assignment.
- Music Theory Examples by WomenThis website shows theoretical examples by composers who are women. Remember that you cannot use these exact examples, but you may be able to find other scores by these composers
- Women in MusicThe Wikipedia page for Women in Music describes several of the most prominent women who are composers (and likely to be in our collection). There is a more detailed list here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_composers_by_birth_date
There are several anthologies of pieces by women in the Performing Arts Collection. Many of them have the searchable subject heading "Music by women composers". Here are some of the more prominent ones:
- American Women Composers: Piano Music from 1865-1915 byCall Number: M 21 A512G5 H4 1990Publication Date: 1990
Historical Anthology of Music by Women by Call Number: M 2.H68 1987ISBN: 0253212960Publication Date: 1987.."". will enlighten students of music history and serve as a source of programming ideas for performers."" -- Library Journal .."". a significant contribution to the literature about, and the music of, women composers."" -- American Music Teacher- Women Composers byCall Number: PAC Ref. M 2 W872S2 1966ISBN: 0816109265Publication Date: 1996This work represents a comprehensive historical overview of music created by women from the 9th to the 20th century. Each volume features 10-25 complete musical scores or complete movements from multi-movement compositions, many of which have been previously difficult to access. Expert scholars provide original essays about the composers, including biographical information, a discussion of the music in historical content, and critical analysis of each work. Entries also include a bibliography, a list of works by the composer and a discography. This first volume about composers born before 1600, covers music by women of the convent, women of nobility, and the trobaritz (women troubadors). The music is predominantly sacred, vocal and a capella.
Online Scores by Women
There are several places you can go online to find scores by composers who are women.
This library database has published scores from the medieval period to the present. There are several composers who are women included in the collections, but not as many as IMSLP. These scores are also searchable in Library Search, just like our printed scores. See direction #2 and the box at the bottom of the page. You will also notice the limiter on the left-hand side for resources "Available Online." This means that scores are available through Classical Scores Library. Treat all of these scores as print scores. The publication information should be available in the upper hand corners of the PDF and or in the sidebar to the right.
The International Music Score Library Project has scans and original files of hundreds of thousands of scores available for free online. Currently you cannot search by women composers in general, so you will still need to identify composers on your own in step #1 below. Pay attention to the publication information provided below the files.
The Choral Public Domain Library has scans and original files of tens of thousands of choral works for free online. There is a page dedicated to composers who are women. These scores are often created by editors of CPDL, so they might have inconsistent publishing information. Be careful when making your citations.