Music: Where's that Song?
A selective guide to SONG INDEXES and DISCOGRAPHIES
The scores of many songs are to be found only in collections, to which there are various indexes. What index you use depends upon what you already know about the song. In most cases, the best approach is by the exact title.
Title or First Line
If you know the title or first line of the song, the following resources will direct you to the title and to the collection(s) in which the song is found.
Ref/ML128/S3S31/1966 Sears. Song index. (1966).
This lists titles, first lines, authors and composers in one alphabet, and also variant or translated titles. Note: The supplement is bound in the same volume.
Ref/ML128/S3D4 De Charms and Breed. Songs in collections. (1966).
This has a complete title and first-line index, and includes anonymous and folk songs, carols and sea shanties.
Ref/ML128/S3H4 Havlice. Popular song index.
Published in 1975, with 1978, 1984 and 1989 Supplements.
Ref/ML128/V7B3/1976 Barlow and Morgenstein. Dictionary of opera and song themes. (1976).
It includes indexed operas, cantatas, oratorios, art songs and miscellaneous vocal works.
Ref/ML128/F75B78 Brunnings. Folk song index. (1981).
This provides an index by title to both scores and recordings.
Ref/ML128/S3G64 Goleeke. Literature for voice : an index of songs in collections and source book for teachers of singing. (1984)
Composer
If you know the composer but are not sure of the exact title, you can try, in addition to the Song index (Ref/ML128/S3S31/1966) and Songs in collections (Ref/ML128/S3D4) referred to above, the following:
Ref/ML128/S3B7 British Broadcasting Corporation. Music Library.
The Song catalogue, records the holdings of one of the world's greatest radio libraries. The composer volumes provide a fairly exhaustive list of a composer's output, as well as the collection(s) in which songs can be found.
The composer approach can be used also in the Dictionary of opera and song themes (Ref/ML128/V7B3/1976).
Tune or Melody
If it is the tune which is known, look into:
Ref/ML128/I65P33 Parsons. Directory of tunes and musical themes. (1975).
This makes use of a system which eliminates the necessity for the user to be able to read music.
Another helpful index by tune is the Dictionary of opera and song themes (Ref/ML128/V7B3/1976)
Specialized Indexes
There are specialized indexes for particular kinds of songs, some of which have already been referred to above. Others include:
Ref/ML128/F75D4 Dean-Smith. A Guide to English folksong collections, 1822-1952. (1954).
Ref/ML3550/L4/1965 Lawless. Folksingers and folksongs in America. (1965).
Ref/ML128/S3L54 Lewine and Simon. Songs of the theater. (1984).
This includes selected titles from stage, film and television productions, giving the published scores.
Ref/ML128/R6F56 Find that tune: an Index to rock, folk-rock, disco, & soul. in collections. (1984).
Ref/ML128/P63G66 Where's that tune? : an index to songs in fakebooks. (1990).
An index to 64 fake books with an annotated list.
Translation
Should you require the translation of a song, try:
THE INTERNET - please see librarian for assistance.
Ref/ML54.6/W65 Coffin [et al.]. Word-by-word translations of songs and arias. (1966-72).
Part I: French and German; Part II: Italian.
Ref/ML54.6/P49 Phillips. Lieder line by line and word for word. (1979).
ML54.6/M5R5/1966 Miller. The Ring of words. (1966).
In addition to French and German, this includes songs in Spanish, Italian, Russian and several Scandinavian languages.
Songs
Songs found in sound recordings are included in the bibliographic record in the online catalogue. Therefore all songs on cd in this library are searchable through the online catalogue. To find songs on older vinyl records the following discographies (indexes for sound recordings) will be helpful, since table of contents information was not included in the card catalogue. The Internet is also useful for finding discographic information and once again please ask the librarian for assistance.
Ref/ML156.4/V7S8/1972 Stahl. A Selected discography of solo song...through 1971. (1972). Supplements, 1971-74, 1975-82.
From the title or first-line approach, one is led to the composer and record-label number. The songs listed are predominately classical.
Ref/ML156.2/G52A55 Gibson. An Annotated discography of scholarly anthologies of western art music in series...1900 through 1970. (1975). The index volume will lead you to the composer in volume l and thence to the recording.
Ref/ML120/U5S5 Shapiro. Popular music: an Annotated index of American popular songs. (1964- ).
This series indexes significant songs of the 20th century, from 1900 to the present. In each volume is a title index leading you to the year of the decade in which the song appeared, thence to the performer and record manufacturer's name.
Ref/ML156.4/P6W49 Top country and western records, 1949-1971.
From the title index, one is led to the performer in the main volume and thence to the label number. If the performer does not appear in the Music & Audio catalogue, ask an attendant to consult the Manufacturer's Number File to see if the recording is in the Library's collection.
Ref/ML3550/L4/1965 Lawless. Folksingers and folksongs in America.
Among this book's many useful indexes are those for long-playing records of individual singers and of groups.
Ref/ML156.2/P48 Phonolog reporter. (1948-1995).
Important for title and artist listings for hundreds of thousands of popular, classical and religious recordings.
Ref/ML102/P66K55 Kinkle. The Complete encyclopedia of popular music and jazz, 1900-1959. (1974).
In volume 4 is an index of personal names, leading to biographical sketches and discographies. This tool is useful also because of its title index.
Ref/ML156.4/P6R88 Rust. The Complete entertainment discography, from the mid-1890's to 1942. (1973).
This lists all known records of popular artists of American birth or well known in America. It excludes jazz and blues musicians and also commercial dance bands, American and British.
Other specialized discographies for folk music, Lieder, opera, jazz, musical shows, ethnic and film music, etc., are available, as well as those for individual composers and performers.
[If you require further help please ask at the music and audio desk or contact the Music Librarian at 472 5025 ]