Research in music may lead you into other subject areas:
Following are some tips on expanding your research into other fields as needed to gain context or perspective on a musical topic.
Encyclopedias
These can give you a basic overview and some bibliography to get you started in an unfamiliar subject area. Encyclopedias can be located using the following strategies:
Go to our "Databases" page, and explore the databases listed under "Reference Sources".
In the Library's catalog, use the following subject heading: [Discipline] -- Encyclopedias.
Research guides
We may also have other online research guides like this one for relevant disciplines. On our hompage, click "Research Guides."
The following databases (available on our “Databases” page) may be helpful:
General:
Arts and Humanities Citation Index
Humanities International Index
Social Sciences Citation Index
Art:
Art Full Text
BHA (Bibliography of the History of Art)
International Bibliography of Art
Oxford Art Online
Religion:
ATLA Religion Database
History:
Historical Abstracts
C19: the Nineteenth Century Index
America: History and Life
International Medieval Bibliography
ITER: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Literature:
MLA International Bibliography
Eighteenth Century Collections (English literature)
Early American Imprints
Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers
American Periodicals Series
Womens Writers Online
Social Sciences:
Anthropology Plus
Sociological Abstracts
ERIC (education)
eHRAF World Cultures
Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS)
Natural Sciences:
Web of Science
Search the Library's catalog or WorldCat using subject headings like these:
For composers
[Composer's name] -- Knowledge -- [Discipline]
[Composer's name] -- Influence.
[Composer's name] -- Political and social views.
[Composer's name] -- Views on [topic]
Examples:
Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883 -- Knowledge -- Drama.
Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883 -- Views on race.
For music related to other disciplines
Music and [discipline or topic]
Examples:
Music and literature
Music and society
Music and dance
Music in [discipline or topic]
Examples:
Music in literature
Music in art
[Topic] in music
Examples:
Symbolism in music.
Death in music.
Music -- [Discipline-related] aspects
Examples:
Music -- Psychological aspects.
Music -- Religious aspects.
Music -- Social aspects.
Music -- Economic aspects.
Subject headings for topical music (songs etc. about historical events or social issues)
Indexes in books
Don't forget that scholarly books have bibliographies and indexes. You can use these to identify more resources, and to quickly locate discussion of related topics within a book.
If you're researching a particular poet, etc., whose work has been set to music, try the following strategies:
To identify musical settings of the author's works:
For further background on the author:
For the composer's relationship with the author:
Bibliographies of Musical Settings
There are bibliographies, catalogs, and indexes that collect literary works in general categories, and identify musical settings that have been done. Some examples:
These and similar bibliographies can be searched in the Library's catalog using the following subject heading:
You can also find most of them shelved under the following call number (check both the Reference room and the main stacks):