Classical Scores Library will contain 400,000 pages of the most important classical music scores, manuscripts, and previously unpublished material, allowing for the study and analysis of more than 8,000 musical scores. Many items have associated audio tracks in Classical Music Library, so that subscribers to both databases can listen to a recording online while following along with the full score.  

The use of printed scores typically requires research across a variety of formats – paper, digital images, proprietary electronic formats – and through a variety of interfaces. Classical Scores Library allows users to access multiple types of scores across various composers, genres, and time periods. Within seconds, beginning music students can explore Beethoven’s entire compositional output, or music experts can compare different musical settings of the Magnificat from the 15^th century to the 21^st century—without the need to find and carry heavy scores and multiple CDs.  

Classical Scores Library is the first classical scores collection that allows for a truly integrated musical experience. All opera, vocal, and choral texts are rekeyed to allow for deep searching and textual analysis. Links to the audio recordings in Classical Music Library allow users to listen along while viewing the score.  

Scholars and students will find answers easily to queries such as:

• How many Handel operas used baritone characters?
• What sacred genres were composed in the late Baroque period?
• What compositions use the word freude in the text?
• Show me all scores with figured bass.
• What vocal duets are available from the Romantic period?
• I want to compare musical settings of Goethe’s Faust.
• Find 17^th century compositions for solo mandolin.

CONTENT

Classical Scores Library includes a mix of in copyright and out of copyright material, focusing on great publishers’ editions. The entire catalog of Boosey and Hawkes* is available, including the Hawkes Pocket Scores series. We are in talks with other in-copyright publishers to deliver all the major classical music genres, including orchestral, chamber, opera, vocal, solo instrumental, and choral. Coverage of score types is comprehensive, with full scores, study scores, piano and vocal scores, and piano reductions. Many items that are unavailable in print form in typical library collections are available for online viewing and study, such as early music manuscripts and complete opera scores. Classical Scores Library will expand your library’s collection while saving valuable shelf space.

The major composers’ repertoires are available across all genres, from Palestrina’s motets to Bach’s keyboard works, and from Beethoven’s string quartets to Stravinsky’s orchestral works plus first edition and autograph facsimiles of 17^th century French opera, and other great works.

HOW WILL YOU USE IT?

More than 25 fields enable users to search based on composer, genre, musical period, score type, instrument and scoring, language, date of composition, and publisher. Users of RISM will note that the database has similar fields. Searches can be simple (show all Chopin mazurkas) or complex (show me any adagio movements of string quartets in B flat minor). Our specially created controlled vocabularies for genres, instrumentation, composers, and time periods are musically authoritative and are applied consistently across all Alexander Street music collections.  

Scores are viewable in PDF format, with links to movements and acts within the PDF. Users can zoom in and out to examine specific measures and tempo markings more closely. The works are printable so that users can mark up and notate them. Other features include static URLs for each score or movement, customizable playlists for for course use or to organize personal favorites, and playlist annotation and sharing.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Classical Scores Library is available on the Web through annual subscription or one-time purchase of perpetual rights. The database will contain at least 400,000 pages upon completion.  Please contact sales@alexanderstreet.com or your Alexander Street sales representative for details, and to learn about the other collections in Music Online.

* Boosey and Hawkes scores not available for outright purchase.