Catalogs

Searching the catalog for chamber music scores, parts, or recordings

Locating books in the catalog about chamber music

Call numbers

The catalog is currently being updated so these pictures are not current.  Stay tuned for a new look!

1. If you want parts, rather than just a score, include “and parts” in your search. For example, doing a "boolean search":

Brahms and quartets and parts

You can also limit your search to "music scores," if you only want printed music. Of course, if you want recordings, select "music recordings." These limits are "sticky"--once you set them they persist until you clear them.

2. If you aren’t looking for works by a particular composer, but you know you want parts of string quartets or quintets, use (again as a boolean search):

either: “String quartets” and parts or: string and quartets and parts

either: “String quintets” and parts or: string and quintets and parts

In this case, the second one might be better. This is because occasionally an entry for a string quintet (in particular) will have other text attached to it, for example “String quintets (violins (2), violas (2), violoncello)”, and if you just search under “String quintets” you may not always find this material. Search under string and quintets and you should find all of it.

3. Usually string quintets are for 2 violins, viola, and cello. But string quintets can include either 2 cellos or 2 violas. If you know that you want repertoire for the 2 violins/2 violas/cello combination, you can do a subject search, or use keywords. So:

quintets and strings and “violas (2)” and parts or “String quintets” and “violas (2)” and parts

You can use any of the above tricks both in the UIUC catalog; in the iShare catalog; and in WorldCat.

At some point you will need to search for books about your topic.

There are several ways you could approach this. For example to get all books about Beethoven and either chamber music or quartets we'll use a search like this:

You could also be a bit more specific with a search like this (you'll see why "criticism" is a useful word when we get the search results):

This search results in this record:

"Criticism and interpretation" along with "analysis, appreciation" and "history, criticism" are three of the most useful subject headings to guide you books that talk about composers and their works.

You can also use a subject heading search to find items related to your topic, as subject headings are assigned to indicate what an item is "about." You can start by simply typing "chamber music" or "string quartets" into the search box, selecting "search by: subject headings" and scrolling through the list of choices. Clicking on a subject term, either in this list, or from a catalog record, will take you to all items that have that particular subject heading in our catalog.

Browsing the shelves for materials related to your topic can be a useful way to identify items that may be useful to you. If you find one or two items in the catalog that seem promising, look on the shelves at the items surrounding them. Be aware that some things, of course, may be checked out or otherwise not on the shelf, but this can still help you identify items quickly.

Classification [“class” or "call"] numbers for books and scores about string quartets and quintets are as follows:

Dewey classification: string quartets are at 787.044, and then filed alphabetically by composer. So, for example, 787.044 B39 might be string quartets by Beethoven. String quintets are to be found at 787.045 (and string sextets would be at 787.046, string septets at 787.047, and so on). Scores in the Dewey system would begin with M, (e.g.,  M787.044).

Library of Congress classification sequence: string quartets are at M452, then filed alphabetically by composer. So, for example, Beethoven’s string quartets will be at M452.B39. String quintets are to be found at M552; string sextets at M652; string septets at M752, and so on.