Music Information Resources: Background Information

Dictionaries and terminology

• The concise Oxford dictionary of opera. 3rd ed. ML 102 O6 W35 1996
• Dictionary of opera. 3rd ed. ML 102 O6 A6 1998
• The Harvard dictionary of music. 4th ed.
  • Also in print ML 100 A64 2003
• The language of twentieth century music : a dictionary of terms. ML 100 F55
• Music abbreviations: a reverse dictionary. ML 100 H45 2005
• Oxford dictionary of music. 2nd ed.
  • Also in print ML 100 K35 2006
• The concise Oxford dictionary of music. 5th ed.
  • Also in print. ML 100 K34 2007
• Musical terms, symbols and theory: an illustrated dictionary. ML 108 T46 1989

Encyclopedias and music guides

• The complete companion to 20th century music. Rev. ed. ML 100 L46 2000. People, terms, chronology, discography
• Encyclopedia of music in Canada. 2nd ed.
  • Also in print ML 106 C3 E5 1992
• The Garland encyclopedia of world music. 10 vol. ML 100 G35 1998
• The concise Garland encyclopedia of world music. 2 vol. ML 100 C69 2008
• Grove book of operas 2nd ed.
  • Also in print ML 102 O6 N522 2006
• The new Grove dictionary of jazz. 2nd ed. 3 vol.
  • Also in print. ML 102 J3 N48 2002
• The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians (Grove music online) 2nd ed. 29 vol.
  • Also in print ML 100 N48 2000. Major scholarly encyclopedia covering all aspects of music.
• The new Grove dictionary of musical instruments. 3 vol. ML 102 I5 N48 1984
• The new Grove dictionary of opera. 4 vol.
  • Also in print ML 102 O6 N5 1992
• The Oxford companion to music.
  • Also in print ML 100 O94 2002
• Who's who in opera (a dictionary of opera characters).
  • Also in print [earlier ed.] ML 102 O6 B68 1998

Guides to recorded music

• The Blackwell guide to recorded contemporary music. ML 111.5 M67 1996
• The Penguin guide to recorded classical music. ML 100 P44 2007
• The Penguin guide to jazz on CD. 7th ed. ML 156.4 J3 C67 2004

Biographical dictionaries

• Baker's biographical dictionary of musicians. 6 vol. Also in print ML 105 B16 2001 Covers all musical genres.
  • "Offers the most comprehensive and authoritative informationalong with insightful evaluations of their contributions to the musical world."
• Baker's biographical dictionary of twentieth-century classical musicians. ML 105 S612 1997
• Contemporary composers. ML 105 C75 1992
• The Glenn Gould Archive
• Grove book of opera singers.
  • Also in print ML 102 O6 G76 2008
• A guide to 20th century composers. ML 390 M78 1996
• Guide to women composers. Available from Oxford Music Online
• The Harvard biographical dictionary of music.
  • Also in print ML 105 H38 1996
• International encyclopedia of women composers. 2nd ed. 2 vol. ML 105 C7 1987
• Sir Ernest MacMillan Exhibition
• The world of twentieth-century music. 2nd ed. ML 390 E87 1991

Bibliographies and guides to music research

• American music librarianship: a research and information guide. ML 111 B773 2005
• Canadian music and music education: an annotated bibliography of theses and dissertations. ML 120 C2 P47 1997
• Ethnomusicology : a guide to research.
  • Also in print ML 128 E8 P67 2004
• Information sources in music. ML 113 I55 2003 
• Music in Canada: a research and information guide. ML 120 C2 M67 1997
• Sourcebook for research in music. 2nd ed.
  • Also in print ML 113 C68 2005.
• Women in music: an encyclopedic bio-bibliography. 2nd ed. 2 vol. ML 105 H6 1997