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Music Guide: Find Manuscripts and Early Editions
Finding Music Manuscripts
Online Resources
- Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new windowMusic reference works, including Grove Music Online, biographies, and encyclopedias
- Digital BodleianOver 1,000 items from the Bodleian’s Chinese maps, manuscripts and printed books collections, acquired since the 17th century.
- RISM Online CatalogA comprehensive annotated index and guide to music manuscripts produced after 1600. The database contains more than 585,559 records by over 20,500 composers and is linked to 3 other databases (Comppser, Library Sigla, and Bibliographic Citations) providing additional information
Print Resources
Manuscripts of polyphonic music, 11th-early 14th century by Call Number: ML113 .I6 ser.B v.4 pt.1ISBN: 9783873280755Publication Date: 1966
Census-Catalogue of Manuscript Sources of Polyphonic Music, 1400-1550 by Call Number: ML135 .C46Publication Date: 1979-1988Compiled in the Musicological Archives for Renaissance Manuscript Studies by Jerry Call, with assistants ; volume I was edited by Charles Hamm with Herbert Kellman ; volumes II-V edited by Herbert Kellman"--V. 5, t.p. verso.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
The theory of music : descriptive catalogue of manuscripts.Call Number: M113.I6. Ser. B vol 3, pts. 1-6ISBN: 9783873280403Publication Date: 1961-2003Manuscripts of music theory treatises from the Carolingian Era to 1400. Arranged Geographically
Finding Early Editions
RISM (Répertoire International des sources Musicales) is a reliable source for finding early printed music titles, from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
- 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.
Early Editions at UW
William Crawford Collection Catalog
The Crawford Collection catalog of rare musical scores, held within UW's Special Collection. For more information see:
- The Catalog Listings for Scores in Crawford Collection (including call numbers)
- Finding aid for archival collection (held at Special Collections)
- Contact Special Collections for more information and to view scores
Music Manuscripts at UW
The UW houses several collections of music manuscripts, including the University of Washington Digital Score Collection which contains manuscripts from 1600-1850.
- University of Washington Digital Score CollectionIncludes scans of rare books and manuscripts held at the University of Washington Music Library
In order to find manuscripts after 1850 in the UW catalog, you may need to reference a thematic catalog, such as the one listed below. More information on Thematic catalogs can be found here.
US Su, the University of Washington, Seattle, Music Library : thematic catalogue of music in manuscript.Call Number: ML113 .I6 ser.A/II pt.US SuPublication Date: 1993
