Physical Scores
You can find scores physically held by the Oberlin Conservatory Library by using Search.Libraries! Be sure to limit your search to "Scores" rather than all items and further limit it to "Physical Items@Oberlin" from the results page. You can search by title, keyword, or composer. Tutorial video coming soon!
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Search.Libraries This link opens in a new window
Find books, journal articles, scores, audio, video, and more from a single integrated starting point.
Physical items in libraries are organized by their call number. Most of the Conservatory Library's items use Library of Congress call numbers. Here's a bit about what to look for.
Call Numbers Starting with M
If a call number starts with M, it is a score. Here are some general guidelines:
- M2: Monuments, sources, reprints, etc.
- M3: Complete and collected works of individual masters
- M5-M1450: Instrumental music
- M1000: orchestral, band, etc.
- M1495-M2199: vocal music
- M1497-M1998: secular
- M1999-M2199: sacred
Monument editions are collections of music that are organized by theme: genre, geography, etc. Their call number starts with M2, and you can find them on the first floor of the Conservatory Library.
Collected works are sets of printed music that bring together everything a composer wrote. You’ll find them under call numbers that start with M3.
They include critical commentary that explains any changes or edits—like accidentals, notes, ornaments, and more. The editors look at original manuscripts whenever they can, and they also research whether the composer made revisions later on, like changing notes or cutting sections.
Digital Scores
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Henle App This link opens in a new window
The Henle Library app provides access to the G. Henle urtext catalogue of scores.
Create Your Account:
- Connect to the Oberlin Wi-Fi on campus. To successfully create an account, you must sign up from an Oberlin IP address.
- Create an account using your Oberlin email address.
- Check your inbox for a confirmation link. When it has arrived, click the link to confirm your account.
- Download the Henle Library app onto a compatible device. (Visit Henle support for information on which tablets and laptops are compatible.)
- Log in using the credentials you created in step one. At this point, you can import a previous Henle library or create a new one.
Key Features, FAQs, and Rules:
Features:
Features include:
- Annotation tools including fingering and bowing notations
- Recording, playback and metronome features
- Versatile navigation settings, including Bluetooth pedal compatibility
Explore more Henle Library app features
FAQs:
Rules:
- Do not create more than 100 PDFs or print out more than 100 documents each day
- Do not register the app using more than 5 different devices within a period of 1 month
- Do not commit acts intended to bypass technical measures to protect the sheet music or to adapt the computer program on which the app is based
- Do not infringe on copyright, share works outside the organization, or perform works (including livestreaming) without the appropriate licenses
Public domain works (works that are no longer protected by copyright) are available online in a few locations. Here are a couple to check out.
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Choral Public Domain LibraryA wiki providing access to more than 12,000 choral works in the public domain. Allows browsing by genre, voicing, language, and composer nationality. Be aware that the scores here have been re-set using music notation software, often with no attribution to the original source.
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IMSLP: International Music Score Library ProjectMore than 200,000 scores and nearly 20,000 recordings, all freely available in the public domain.