Historic Treatises at Oberlin
The Conservatory Library's special collections include a number of rare printed items from the 16th and 17th centuries. Drawn primarily from the Frederick R. Selch Collection of American Music History, the materials highlighted here represent some of the most influential writings in the history of Western musical thought.
They include foundational texts relating to organology and music theory, along with important works on the philosophy and iconography of music. Topic guides include:
Theory-Specific Resources to Expand the Canon
- Expanding the Music Theory CanonThe site contains more than 400 examples by women and/or people of color active primarily between c.1600 and 1925, arranged by theory topic. Additionally, there is a composer biography and (when possible) recording of each excerpt.
- Music Theory Examples by BIPOC composersThis repository of examples by composers of color for use in the theory and aural skills curriculum. The music is categorized by unit, topic, and subtopic. The repository is crowdsourced by music theorists.
- Music Theory Examples by WomenThis is a database of excerpts and complete musical compositions by women composers. The music is categorized by theoretical concept for use in music education.
Music Analysis
Analyses of Nineteenth- And Twentieth-Century Music, 1940-2000 by
This compilation includes 9,306 entries for analyses of works by 1,066 composers, provides ready access to analytical writings and presents the broadest coverage and most detailed indexing of this literature available.
Call Number: Con Ref ML113 .H695 2007ISBN: 0810858878Publication Date: 2007
Music Analyses by
This is a reference source to the analytical literature on music from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, designed for music scholars, students, and concert-goers interested in a technical explanation of a favorite composition.
Call Number: Con Ref ML128.A7 D5 1991ISBN: 0028701100Publication Date: 1991
Popular Music Theory and Analysis by
Popular Music Theory and Analysis: A Research and Information Guide uncovers the wealth of scholarly works dealing with the theory and analysis of popular music. This annotated bibliography is an exhaustive catalog of music-theoretical and musicological works that is searchable by subject, genre, and song title. It will support emerging scholarship and inquiry for future research on popular music.
Call Number: Con Ref ML128.T5 R63 2017ISBN: 9781138206328Publication Date: 2017
Musical Anthologies for Analytical Study by
Presenting detailed information about 14 standard anthologies, this useful music reference tool lists all excerpts and complete compositions, provides information concerning the type of score presented, and includes an index of composers and sources as well as an index of complete compositions and movements.
Call Number: Con Ref ML128.A7 P4 1995ISBN: 0313295956Publication Date: 1995
Bibliographies
A Bibliography of the History of Music Theory by
This bibliography of the history of music theory was assembled in order to assist students at the graduate level. This serves as a valuable tool for graduate students, those preparing for qualifying examinations, and those just beginning teaching or writing dissertations on the subject.
Call Number: Con Ref ML128.L3 W5 1971ISBN: 0912428023Publication Date: 1971
A Topical Guide to Schenkerian Literature by
This work is useful to a wide range of researchers music theorists, musicologists, music librarians and teachers. The Guide is the largest Schenkerian reference work ever published. At nearly 600 pages, it contains 3600 entries (2200 principal, 1400 secondary) representing the work of 1475 authors. Fifteen broad groupings encompass seventy topical headings, many of which are divided and subdivided again, resulting in a total of 271 headings under which entries are collected.
Call Number: Con Ref ML128.T5 B47 2004ISBN: 1576470954Publication Date: 2004
Music Theory from Boethius to Zarlino by
The goal of this volume is to create a logically organized introduction to the major theorists of the time and a thorough review of the scholarly work about these writers. While specialists in the history of music theory may find new materials in these pages, this work is primarily designed for the non-specialist as a practical and basic introduction to the treatises, people, and scholarship of Medieval and Renaissance theory.
Call Number: Con Ref ML128.T5 W55 2007ISBN: 1576471578Publication Date: 2008
Music Theory from Zarlino to Schenker by
This volume includes a Dictionary of Theorists, where individual entries devoted to approximately 250 theorists supply relevant bibliographic information: titles and publication data for each author's treatises and principal articles, locations of manuscripts, and more. Indices facilitate access to materials for various research topics in the areas of speculative and practical music theory, and in the areas of acoustics, aesthetics, lexicography, music analysis, musicology, orchestration, and performance practice.
Call Number: Con Ref ML128.T5 D27 1990ISBN: 0918728991Publication Date: 1991-04-04
