Scores
How to find a music score
Score databases
Classical Scores Library by Alexander Street Press is a great resource to discover compositions for your instrument and ensemble. New and old compositions can be accessed and printed.
- Naxos Sheet Music
Provides digital sheet music in all classical genres, spanning music from Medieval to the 21st century and composers from Bach to Arvo Part. Music can be downloaded and printed, and many works can also be transposed into any key or clef within the database.
- How to search Music Online: Classical Scores LibraryA how to guide on searching and getting the most out of Music Online: Classical Scores Library
- International Music Score Library ProjectBased on the wiki principle, IMSLP attempts to create a free virtual library containing all public domain musical scores, as well as scores from composers who are willing to share their music with the world without charge.
- Choral Public Domain LibraryA collection of free choral/vocal scores, texts and translations
- Mutopia ProjectThe Mutopia Project offers sheet music editions of classical music for free download. These are based on editions in the public domain, and include works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Handel, Mozart, and many others.
- Australian Jazz Real BookThe Australian Jazz Real Book is the definitive collection of the best Australian jazz tunes. Features over 400 sheets of Australian jazz tunes from Australian composers, curated into seventeen styles, as well as artist biographies and some streaming audio clips.
- Music Online : Classical Scores Library (Alexander Street Press)A collection of online classical music scores from major and lesser known composers covering many different instruments, ensembles and genres. Collection contains both in-copyright and public domain music scores.
Finding print scores in the collection
Library catalogue searching
A keyword search in either the Library catalogue or the Classic Library Catalogue will allow you to combine the surname of the composer, the title of the music score to find the score you need. Look also for the search limiting options or the modify search button to 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 (trumpet, violin, piano, voice type)
- Use the plural of the music genre (sonatas, symphonies, concertos) - See Uniform Titles section.
- Use unique numbers. Enter the numbers only. If the score is Opus 101, just enter 101.
For further information on finding scores see sections below on original languages and uniform titles.
Uniform Titles
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:
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Concerto in A major for piano, K.488
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Konzert A Dur, K.488 fur Klavier
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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:
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Concertos, piano, orchestra, K.488, A major
Original Languages
A common practice for opera arias, art songs and other lyrical works is for these types of works to be listed in Library catalogues and other information sources in their original language. For example Schubert's famous song "Gretchen at the spinning wheel" will be appear in the Library catalogue in its original language as: Gretchen am Spinnrade. Consult Grove Music Online to find the exact title.
