Music Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Music encyclopedias and dictionaries are located in the reference section. See the music map.

Encyclopedia

Description

Location

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians The most substantial and comprehensive music encyclopedia in English. It covers composers, genres, and trends in music.  The online version is updated regularly, but the print contains more illustrations.

Available online

Ref ML 100 N48 2001.

The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music

This 10-volume work covers musiic from around the world. Each volume covers a different geographic region, and discusses history, current practice, and scholarship. Includes CDs with examples of music.

Ref ML 100 G16 1998

The Oxford Dictionary of Music

Definitions and discussions of individual works, performers, orchestras, musical forms, instruments, and composers.

Ref ML 100 K35 1994

The New Oxford Companion to Music 

This encyclopedia covers composers, works, music of different countries, music theory, genres, and more.

Available online

Ref ML 100 N5 1983

The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians

 

Ref ML 100 T47 1985

The New Grove Dictionary of American Music This standard work on American music covers serious music, popular music, jazz, folklore, regional music, American composers and performers, and American cities.

Ref ML 101 U6 N48 1986

The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments.

Describes all kinds of musical instruments from around the world, both ancient and modern. Includes information on the inner workings, instrument families and obscure instruments.

Ref ML 102 I5 N48 1985

Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians

Accurate, critical and witty biographies of musicians, from classical to modern. Volume 6 has indexes of composers by nationality, genre, and time period.

Ref ML 105 B16 1992

Oxford History of Western Music

Covers the breadth of western music, including changes in performance, composition, tonalities and ideologies. Includes analysis of musical scores.

Ref ML 160 .T18 2005

Dictionary of North American Hymnology 

Search nearly 5,000 hymnals to find specific hymns. Can search by hymn title, composer, first line, or hymnal title.

Available online