Music Guide: Find Early Editions

Sources for printed music materials

RISM A/I: Einzeldrucke vor 1800. Printed Music before 1800 (first editions). 9 volumes and 5 volumes of supplements. Arranged alphabetically by composer. Ref Is. M113 .I6 Ser. A v.1. pts. 1-15.

RISM B/I: Recueils Imprimés XVIe - XVIIe Siecles. First editions of collections between 16th and 17th centuries. Arranged chronologically by year. Ref Is. M113 .I6 Ser. B v.1.
Years 1500-1550 are available online at the above link.

RISM B/II: Recueils Imprimés XVIIIe Siecle. First editions of collections in the 18th century. Arranged alphabetically by collection title. Ref Is. M113 .I6 Ser. B v.1.

Finding Rare Printed Music

There is no single source for finding ALL early printed music.

RISM series A/I, B/I, and B/II include early printed music titles, from 16th to the 18th centuries. See box on left for specifics.
OCLC database: Includes are printed music materials that have been cataloged in the OCLC database. Not all printed materials in RISM volumes are included, especially those from European libraries.

William Crawford III Collection of Printed Music
Crawford Collection catalog of rare musical scores

Digital Manuscripts

Archivio Storio Ricordi - Collezione Digitale
Publishing house Ricordi's digital archive. Includes score manuscripts, letters, images/photographs, and magazines/publications
(In Italian)
Digital Resources for Musicology
This project includes several digitized music manuscripts
Library of Congress Historic Sheet Music Collection, 1800-1922
This sheet music collection consists of approximately 9,000 items published from 1800 to 1922, although the majority is from 1850 to 1920 [view finding aid for the collection]. The bulk was published in many different cities in the United States, but some of the items bear European imprints. Most of the music is written for voice and piano; a significant minority is instrumental.
Silent Film Scores and Arrangements
Scores and Arrangements digital collection offers unique insight into the development of music and scores in film. The collection includes over 3,000 items published or created for use in silent film accompaniment between 1904 - 1927. These items include scores written for specific films, cue sheets that compile melodies for use at certain moments in specific films.
The Moldenhauer Archives
"The Moldenhauer Archives at the Library of Congress contain approximately 3,500 items documenting the history of Western music from the medieval period through the modern era and is the richest composite gift of musical documents ever received by the Library"