Reference works can save you a lot of time. They have done the work of compiling information about a person or topic for you and can help you frame your research question. They also have useful bibliographies that can jump start your research process.
There are myriad music dictionaries and encyclopedias. Depending on what topic you are researching you may need a very specialized one or a more general one. A few of the best general ones are listed below.
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New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
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Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: Allgemeine Enzyklopädie der Musik (MGG), 2nd ed. - Friedrich Blume.
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Garland Encyclopedia of World Music CIRCULATING REFERENCE / 3RD FLOOR ML100 .G16 1998
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Diccionario de la música española |
In addition to the biographical dictionaries listed below, there are also book-length biographical tools called biobibliographies. A biobibliography is a bibliography devoted to one composer. They list books, journal articles, and other information about a composer. Sometimes these books are called "guides to research." They are typically located in the MLs in the Reference collection.
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Baker's biographical dictionary of musicians- ed. Nicholas Slonimsky.
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Sometimes it can be difficult to find biographical information about composers who are still living. Some good sources are publisher websites and interviews (either online or in newspapers in periodicals).
| The Oxford history of western music - Taruskin, Richard.
Call Number: ML160 T18, 6 vols (3rd Floor)
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Duckles, Vincent. Music Reference and Research Materials, 5th ed.
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Crabtree, Phillip. Sourcebook for Research in Music. Indiana University Press. |