Finding Music Scores

In OneSearch and other library catalogs, the Uniform Title is used to bring together different versions of the same work. This is useful because:

• Music titles are often described in different languages.
• Musical works may have distinctive titles
• Music can also be described by opus or symphony number, by key, or by instrument..

The uniform title follows a formula that can be remembered through this acronym:

FINK: Form* (Genre), Instrument (medium of performance), number, key.

*Form is always plural: quartets, sonatas, symphonies, etc.

Examples:

• The uniform title for Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E-flat, op. 31, no. 3 is  Sonatas, piano, no. 18, op. 31, no. 3, E♭ major
• Schubert’s Trout Quintet has this uniform title: Quintets, piano, violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, D. 667, A major
• Mozart’s Symphony No. 38, "Prague" is Symphonies, K. 504, D major

When searching for scores in OneSearch:

• Start with a keyword search using the elements you know (composer, form, instruments, etc.)
• Look in the View Description part of the OneSearch item record to find the Uniform Title.
• Then click the uniform title to get all the works with that title.
• You may have to filter your results to Stetson and scores after starting a new search

A search for Brahms violin concerto in D major, opus 77 only has 1 result.

Using what we know about uniform titles (genres are plural, include instrument name, include the key and the number), try a search using these words: Brahms violin concertos D major 77

The search for Brahms violin concertos D major 77 returns more results.

Below is the description of the first item in the results list. You can see the Uniform Title and click it to start a new search.

Clicking the Uniform Title starts a new search. When you start a new search, you may lose your filters, so be sure to check Stetson and Score in your results.

A search for Beethoven's 5th Symphony, filtered to scores available at Stetson's library, give ZERO results!

Using what we know about Uniform Titles (the form/genre is always pluralized) search for symphonies instead of symphony. Rather than 5th, use the number 5. And use Beethoven in place of Beethoven's.  

A search for Beethoven symphonies 5 returns these search results: