What are Collected Editions?
Collected editions are multi-volume scholarly editions of the works of a single composer or of a particular musical repertoire. In producing these editions, scholars exam all available primary sources to determine the most authentic version of each work. Types of editions include:
Historical sets:
Collected editions containing music of a particular time period. Examples include:
- The Symphony 1720-1840
- Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century
- Recent Researches in Music of the Renaissance
Monuments of Music (called Denkmaler in German):
Collected editions of music of a particular country or geographical area. Examples include:
- Musica Britannica
- Denkmaler der Tonkunst in Osterreich
- Recent Researches in American Music
Complete Works (Samtliche Werke, Opera Omnia, Oeuvres Completes) :
Works of individual composers.
Using Grove to Find Music in Collected Editions
- Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new windowOxford Music Online (O.M.O.) is the access-point for Oxford music reference subscriptions and products, including Grove Music Online, The Oxford Companion to Music, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, and Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Patrons can cross-search products for full text articles, browse by subject, and link to images, digital sound, and related sites.
Step 1: Find the composer's article in Grove
Use the search bar to find the composer's article. For composers from large musical families (i.e. Mozart and Bach), it may be helpful to search using the composers full name.
Step 2: Access the works list
Once you have located and navigated to the main article for the composer, select the "Works" tab from the "Article contents" on the left-hand side of the page.
Step 3: Locate the title in the works list
Works lists in Grove are usually subdivided by composition type (i.e. Operas, Choral, Orchestral, Chamber, Keyboard, etc.). You can also navigate a works list by using Ctrl F (Command F for Mac users) to search within the article for a particular title.
Step 4: Identify edition information
Information about the series, volume, page (if applicable), and any other divisions of the edition will be listed at the end of the entry. For some well-known composers, more than one collected edition has been published. The different editions are generally listed at the beginning of the works list, along with their respective abbreviations.
Step 5: Locate the work in the print edition
The collected editions are shelved in the non-circulating score collection in the M2 and M3 call numbers ranges. Collected works by individual composers are shelved alphabetically in the M3 call number range. If you need assistance locating a volume, please visit the library help desk on the first floor.
Terminology
| Abteilung | Series |
| Ausgabe | Edition |
| Band | Volume |
| Gesammelte Werke | Collected works |
| Kritischer Bericht | Critical report |
| Opera Omnia | All works |
| Oeuvres completes | Complete works |
| Sämtlich | Complete |
| Thematisches-Verzeichnis | Thematic catalog |
| Teil | Part |
| Werke | Works |
Other Ways to Find Music in Collected Editions
Grove (Oxford) Music Online provides information about many of the major collected editions, particularly for individual composers, but in some cases you may need to consult another resource to find a work. Here are several other options:
Use the Libraries Catalog:
- Libraries CatalogSearch the Libraries' Catalog by composer and work title. As you review the search results, look for scores in the M2 or M3 call number ranges.
Use one of these print indexes:
Historical Sets, Collected Editions, and Monuments of Music by Call Number: ML113 .H52 1980 (Gorgas Music Reference Collection, 1st floor)- Collected Editions, Historical Series and Sets, and Monuments of Music by Call Number: ML113 .H55 1997 (Gorgas Library Music Collection, 1st floor)Inventories some 8,000 historically important collected editions of music, including numbered monumental sets and composers' collected editions, as well as musicologically significant publishers' series and anthologies. The compilers have paid particular attention to series and sets published in eas
Please note that the available print indexes are dated and will not include information on newer editions.