Here are some strategies for finding information about a musical piece:
1. Do a SUBJECT search in the library catalog using the composer's name to find books about the composer and his works. Also look for more specialized subject headings such as the ones in the following examples:
Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827. Symphonies
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791. Nozzi di Figaro
2. Check a music encyclopedia such as Grove Music Online, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, or The New Grove Dictionary of American Music for an article on the composer. Individual pieces are sometimes described in the articles which can also include detailed works lists for the composer giving such facts as original instrumentation, date of composition, and first performance.
3. If the composition is popular enough to have been recorded, there are usually program notes issued with the recording that give background information on the music.
For online classical music, connect to CLASSICAL MUSIC LIBRARY and NAXOS online music services via Library Online Resources for Music.
To find a recording in the Cal Poly Pomona Library, check the catalog, and limit the search to "CDs/Cassettes/Videos/DVDs"
4. Find a REVIEW of a live performance or recording of a musical piece.
REVIEWS of music recordings are included on the following web sites:
Amazon.com Music
Barnes & Noble.com Music
Tower Records.com
Magazines and newspapers also review live performances and music recordings. Consult Music Article Searches.
5. Check for Internet web pages devoted to a particular composer. A good starting point is Composer-specific sites (from Indiana University). Duke University provides lists of composer web sites organized by historical period. To retrieve more, put quotation marks around the name of the composer and/or the name of the piece and search on Google.
6. Check for a critical edition of a score of the piece which may give some analysis or historical background on the music.
7. Do a SUBJECT search in the library catalog using the name of the form of the music or instrumentation of the music, further subdivided by "Analysis, appreciation" or "Stories, plots, etc."
Examples:
Orchestral music -- Analysis, appreciation
Concertos (Piano) -- Analysis, appreciation
Operas -- Stories, plots, etc.
8. Browse the library book stacks in the section containing the analytical guides for music: MT90 - MT145
Examples:
Essays in Musical Analysis - MT 90 T6 E8 v.1-6
Listen to the Music: A Self-Guided Tour Through the Orchestral Repertoire - MT 125 K72 1988
9. Music appreciation books analyze famous musical compositions. Do a SUBJECT search in the online catalog on: Music appreciation
