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Searching for Music in the
Cornell University Library Catalog
(Note that scores, sound and video recordings,
books on music, and journal titles held by Cornell can be searched
through the catalog, but individual journal articles do not appear. To
search for articles, please see these Cornell Library resources on articles, journals, and ejournals. We also provide direct access to music databases for Cornell users.)
Searching for Music in the Cornell University Library Catalog
The Cornell online catalog allows you to use
sophisticated searching techniques in order to find the materials you
are looking for efficiently. The catalog provides powerful keyword
searching capabilities as well as the more familiar type of name, title
and subject heading searches.
However, the items retrieved by the various
searches are not necessarily sorted in ways that are useful for music.
Therefore, it is best to use various searching features of the new
catalog to make your search as precise as possible and retrieve the
smallest number of items necessary to satisfy your needs.
Searching Names
Composers and performers (both individuals and ensembles) are treated as "authors" in the Cornell catalog. In the Basic Search,
select "Author--Sorted by Title." This search includes cross references
from variant forms of titles to the uniform title, which collects
various forms under and standardized title. For example, a reference
from Beethoven's Moonlight sonata to Sonatas, piano, no. 14, op. 27, no. 2, C# minor. In Guided Keyword select "Author/Creator."
For material about a composer, performer or performing group, select "Subject" in Basic Search and "Subject heading" or "Name (By or About)" in the Guided Keyword Search. "Name (By or About)" is a broader search than "Subject heading.".
Narrowing a Keyword Search
Most music searchers will find the Guided
Keyword search to be the most useful when searching for a particular
piece of music because the composer's name can be combined with other
search terms.
If you are looking for printed music, set your search limit format to "Music Score" before entering your search.
If you are looking for videorecordings or DVD's, set your search limit format to "Visual Material."
If you are looking for all types of recorded music, set your search limit format to "Musical Recording."
To limit your search to a particular
format of recorded sound, it is helpful to add keywords that appear
only in the description of that format. Since standard descriptions
have varied over the years, this method is not 100% reliable.
For compact discs add to any guided search:
AND
Search term: (compact) [in Notes index]
For many musical works, elements of the
title vary depending on the language of the publisher. A standardized
list of types of compositions has been used in the construction of
uniform titles for many of those works in the library catalog. These
standardized terms can be used to retrieve a more complete list of a
work.
For example, use "symphon?" for sinfonie, symphonies, sinfonia, etc.
To view an extensive list of the terms used for types of compositions, Click here. (Located at Yale University).
Relevance Keyword
If you have a set of keywords that combine to
retrieve a small number of items, and you do not need to be
comprehensive in your search, the Relevance Keyword search may serve
your needs. The use of a "+" to mark essential terms improves the
assignment of appropriate "relevance".
For example, "mozart 550 compact" retrieves an
enormous list headed by books on the compact disc industry. On the
other hand, "+mozart +550 compact" retrieves a fairly usable list of
recordings of Mozart's Symphony in G minor, K.550.
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Updated: 27 July 2005
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