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Women and Music, Past and Present |
Library Intensive Web PagePrepared by Darwin F. ScottCreative Arts Librarianfor Professor Liane Curtis, Music DepartmentJanuary 2007 |
| In Women and Music, Past and Present: Style, Indentity, Culture (MUS 150a), taught by Professor Liane Curtis, students will engage with some significant works by women composers (spanning the classical era through the 20th century) to consider these pieces and their creators in a broader social and cultural context, and to examine the forces that have shaped the traditional canon of "Western Art Music" and consider why music by women has historically been excluded. The influence of gender ideologies of various time periods has impacted women's participation in musical life; the process of studying these historical factors will challenge our own beliefs about music, talent, creativity, gender, and their relationship with musical culture. |
Use Basic LOUIS for locating titles or authors already known to you (for example, bibliography entries)
Use Advanced LOUIS for searching keywords and for searching music scores and sound recordings.
Tips for locating scores (editions of music):
To limit a search to scores only, use the pull down menu under "Formats" and replace the default all materials with musical score.
In the first search box, enter the composer (you can limit to "author").
In the second search box, enter word or words from specific title (if relevant), but do not enter a generic title word such as sonata or symphony (see next box). A unique identifier, such as an opus number for a generic work, can also work.
In the third search box, enter the plural form of the genre if relevant (e.g., songs or quartets or symphonies) as a keyword.
Tips for locating sound recordings
To limit a search to sound recordings only, use the pull down menu under "Formats"and replace the default all materials with sound recording.
In the first search box, enter the composer (you can limit to author).
In the second search box, enter word or words from specific title (if relevant), but do not enter a generic title word such as sonata or symphony (see next box). A unique identifier, such as an opus number for a generic work, can also work.
In the third search box, enter the plural form of the genre if relevant (e.g., songs or quartets or symphonies) as a keyword.
To limit the search to CDs only, include the word compact in your keyword search.NOTE! The CD collection at Brandeis is continuously growing but is by no means comprehensive and the Library maintains a very large collection of LPs. If you wish to retrieve all the sound recordings of a particular work or by a particular subject, do not limit your search with compact. Since LOUIS bibliographic records sort in reverse chronological order, the LPs will appear near the end of the list (the Library owns no LPs produced after the mid-1980s).
Reminder: recordings usually include booklets or liner notes that can provide important background information on the composers and the works on the recordings.
For geographic/nationality terms, search both the noun and adjective (in paratheses and connected by or), or use the truncation sign (when possible):
(united states or american)
(france or french)
(britain or england or english) or (britain or engl?) [note: britain is short for Great Britain]
Some essential synonyms for keyword searches:
(feminist or feminism or women) or (feminis? or women)
Occupational terms--preceded by Women; all can be followed by nationality (as a noun) and sometimes further distinguished by type of coverage in the book (biography, catalog, etc.)
Composers
Women composers--France--Biography
Musicians
Women musicians -- United States
Women jazz musicians -- United States
Women rock musicians -- United States
Women singers
| African American women composers -- Biography |
Cheyenne women -- Songs and music -- History and criticism |
| Feminism and music |
Feminism and music -- Bibliography |
| Feminist music -- Performances -- California -- San Francisco |
Gender identity in music |
| Lesbian music -- Performances -- California -- San Francisco |
Marie Therese, Empress, consort of Franz II -- Contributions in music |
| Music by African American women composers -- History and criticism |
Music by women composers -- History and criticism |
| Music by women composers -- United States -- Analysis, appreciation |
Music -- Social aspects -- United States |
| Music -- 18th century -- Social aspects -- Austria -- Vienna |
Sex in music |
| Sex in opera -- Congresses |
Women -- Appalachian Region -- Songs and music -- History and criticism |
| Women blues musicians -- United States |
Women composers -- Biography |
| Women composers -- France -- Biography |
Women composers -- United States |
| Women country musicians -- Biography |
Women in the theater -- Italy -- History -- 16th century |
| Women jazz musicians -- United States |
Women music patrons -- Austria -- Vienna -- History |
| Women music patrons -- Italy -- Mantua |
Women music patrons -- United States. |
| Women musicians |
Women musicians -- England -- History -- 19th century |
| Women musicians -- Europe -- History -- 18th century |
Women musicians -- Italy -- Venice |
| Women musicians -- Netherlands -- 19th century |
Women musicians -- United States |
| Women rock musicians -- Interviews |
Women singers |
| Women singers -- Oklahoma -- Biography |
Women singers -- United States -- Biography |
Provides links to the most commonly used resources for music research, both electronic and print.
Provides links to the most commonly used resources for women's studies research, both electronic and print.
More extensive guide to the best resources to use for music research, both electronic and print, divided by topics (update in progress).
Electronic, full-text version of the 2001 edition of the most authoritative, comprehensive, and up-to-date English-language reference work on music. Now includes the New Grove Dictionary of Opera and the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, 2d ed.
Provides detailed and often extremely important articles for women composers and musicians:
Sample Articles on Women (a few among many):
And often outstanding articles under terms, styles, and concepts:
Key Concept Articles (among many):
Always begin a research project with a thorough search of this essential resource.
Print versions: Creative Arts Reference ML 100 N48 2001; ML 102 .O6N5 1992; ML 102.J3 N48 2002
Full-text from the 1999 edition, including nearly 17,500 biographies of men and women whose lives have shaped the American nation, with essays, bibliographies, illustrations and web links. Updated quarterly, with hundreds of new entries each year and revisions of previously published entries to enhance their accuracy and currency.
RILM Abstracts of Musical Literature (citations and abstracts for articles published primarily in music journals)
Contains citations and abstracts of the literature in music from 1969 to the present, including articles, essays in books, and books. Coverage for popular music is can be spotty.
Use the 
button to locate an electronic or print copy of an article.
The Music Index (citations for articles published primarily in music journals)
Indexes articles, reviews, and news items in more than 725 international music periodicals covering all styles and genres of music, as well as musicians and the music industry, published 1974 to the present.
Use the button to locate an electronic or print copy of an article.
Academic Search Premier (full text articles and article citations)
Up-to-date source for locating full texts and citations on all topics. For women and music, particularly useful for finding articles and reviews in non-music publications and on popular culture and other areas of music not well covered in RILM or the Music Index.
Full text articles available directly from this resource have 
HTML Full Text and/or 
PDF Full Text under the citation.
For citations only, use the button to locate an electronic or print copy of an article.
LexisNexis Academic (full text articles from newspapers)
Use to locate the full-text of reviews or feature articles in newspapers, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, or Boston Globe.
Coverage is extremely current.
Fill in the required search boxes as follows:
Step 1 -- News category: Arts & Sports News
Step 2 -- Select a news source: Entertainment news. Click the Source List link if you want to pick specific sources, such as the New York Times or Boston Globe, and check the box next to the title (you can select multiple sources) . Note that the selected sources automatically appear in the Step 5 box for your search.
Step 3 -- Enter search terms: select Full Text
For searches, use key terms or names.
Put quotes around expressions such as "Clara Schumann" or "New York" and use and between nonadjacent words.
Step 4 -- If known, select the appropriate date range based on when the exhibition was held. If you aren't quite sure, search a broad range of years.
A combined (union) catalog for most of the libraries in the United States and many foreign libraries as well.
The best way to find books and journals not at Brandeis. Use the "Libraries" button in the full record of a particular item to locate libraries in the Boston area that have the book or journal.
You can request ILL (interlibrary loan) directly from a WorldCat record by clicking on the button.
Contemporary Women's Issues (articles and citations with links)
Indexes and provides full text to 600 journals, newsletters and reports relating to women's studies, 1992 to present. Includes very current indexing for women and music periodicals.
Women's Studies International (citations with links)
Indexes journal literature, books, and mixed media from 10 women's studies databases, 1972 to present.
America: History and Life (citations with links)
Indexes journals, books, and dissertations on U.S. and Canadian history and culture, 1964 to present. Possible interdisciplinary source for materials on American and Canadian music in humanities (i.e., non-music) journals.
Use the button to locate an electronic or print copy of an article.
Historical Abstracts (citations with links)
Indexes journals, books, and dissertations on European, Asian, African, and Latin American history, 1955 to present. Possible source for materials on non-American music in humanities (i.e., non-music) journals.
Use the button to locate an electronic or print copy of an article.
All Music Guide
Covers all types of music, focusing primarily on recordings and supporting texts.
Women in Music Internet Project
Excellent metadata site maintained by the Kapralova Society, which is dedicated to "promoting women in music."
Particularly useful sites maintained by this society include:
Bibliography of Sources Related to Women's Studies, Gender Studies, Feminism, and Music
Connect to the Bibliography under CSW Resources. Maintained by the Committee on the Status of Women, Society for Music Theory.
Women in Music
Maintained by the American Musicological Society.
Women in Music
Maintained by the University of Washington.
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers
Provides authoritative entries on 875 women composers of Western classical music. Entries include lists of works and selective bibliographies. Includes a chronology of women's achievements in music.
Creative Arts Reference ML 105 .N38 1995
The Pandora Guide to Women Composers: Britain and the United States 1629-present
Presents thorough summary biographies of 100 women composers who for the significant part of their careers, lived and worked in Britain, Ireland, or the United States and composed within the tradition of Western classical music.
Creative Arts Reference ML 390 .F94 1994
Women and Music: A Selective Annotated Bibliography on Women and Gender Issues in Music, 1987-1992
Annotated guide to books, essays, periodical articles, theses, conference papers, newspaper articles, score anthologies, sound recording anthologies, media, and online information sources complied between 1987 and 1992 (plus some important new publications issued in 1993) that investigate issues regarding women, gender, and music in a collective sense. This resource does not include bibliographical studies of individual women musicians.
Creative Arts Reference ML 128 .W7 E75 1996
Women in American Music: A Bibliography of Music and Literature
A select bibliography of writings through 1978 documenting women's activities as composers, educators, patrons, and performers in American music from colonial times to the present. Also includes a bibliography of musical works composed to 1978 by American women or by women who have spent 10 or more years of their active lives in the United States.
Creative Arts Reference ML 128 .W7 B6
Women in Music: A Research and Information Guide
A select, annotated bibliography focusing on the years 1980-2000 that represents "a variety of testimonies to areas of feminist-incluenced thought in music." Chapters include:
The Musical Women: An International Perspective
A 3-volume publication chronicling women's achievements in all aspects of music except solo performance. Each volume divides into two parts: a gazette (with lists by year of major events such as honors and awards, important performances, published music, recordings issued, and information on national and international conferences and festivals); and a section of essays (including critical appraisals, surveys, overviews for particular groups of music professionals, and detailed studies on special topics).
Creative Arts Reference ML 390 .M92
The Women Composers Collection: From the Holdings of the Women Composers Collection, the Music Library, University of Michigan
Contains music, principally by European and North American women composers, originally published between ca. 1780 and 1950. "The collection features works by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, Lili Boulanger, Nadia Boulanger, Pauline Viardot, Maria Malibran, Augusta Holmès, Ethel Smyth, Cécile Chaminade, Liza Lemann, Teresa Del Riego and many others. In addition to its interest to musicologists, the publication of sheet music, often including lavishly illustrated covers, offers a rich resource for gender studies and sociology." See accompanying printed guide for full contents.
Creative Arts Microfilms M1 .W8 1998
The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The most extensive resource available on popular music from 1900 to the present. The 14,500 entries are mostly biographical, covering a wide international spectrum of popular music in a broad variety of genres. Wide coverage of women artists in all styles. The artist entries conclude with discographies of the most significant albums.
Creative Arts Reference ML 102 .P66 G84 1995
The Green Book of Songs by Subject: The Thematic Guide to Popular Music
"The first major effort to organize the popular music of this century by topic." Classifies over 21,000 popular songs by over 800 subjects and subcategories. Discography focus but still valuable for finding songs on subjects. Organized into three sections: the songs arranged by subject categories (in alphabetical order); record label codes listing; and subject index. Excellent coverage of feminist/women and related topics.
Creative Arts Reference ML 156.4 .P6 G73 2002
Superseded eds. are shelved in the stacks and circulate
A Resource Guide to Themes in Contemporary American Song Lyrics, 1950-1985
Cites more than 3,000 recordings organized under 15 social, political, an personal themes (characters and personalities; commutations media; death; education; marriage, family life, and divorce; military conflicts; occupations; materialism and workplaces; personal relationships, love, and sexuality; political protest and social criticism; poverty and unemployment; race relations; religion; transportation systems; urban life; and youth culture).
Creative Arts Reference ML 156.4 .P6 C66 1986
Waltham Public Library: Minuteman Library Network
The Waltham Public Library has an excellent circulating collection of CDs of all types of music. You can also get CDs from any of the other libraries in the Minuteman Library Network. Many other nearby libraries are members of this network.
IAWM Journal
Published by the International Alliance for Women in Music two times a year since 1995. The International Alliance for Women in Music was formed on January 1, 1995 through the merger of the International Congress for Women in Music, the American Women Composers and the International League of Women Composers.
Print: +ML 82 I28
Newsletter of the Rebecca Clarke Society
Published electronically since 2001 by the Rebecca Clarke Society.
Women & Music: A Journal of Gender and Culture
An annual published since 1997 by the International Alliance for Women in Music.
Print: ML 82 .W59
Electronic: in Project MUSE since 2004
Women of Note Quarterly: The Magazine of Historical and Contemporary Women Composers
Chicago Manual of Style
This outstanding guide provides examples of how to cite a specific source using the format of four well-known style manuals, including Turabian and Chicago -- the two most commonly used for music documentation.
Documentation Guidelines: Citing Sources within Your Paper (Duke University)
Provides examples of how to cite a specific source using the format of four well-known style manuals, including Turabian and Chicago -- the two most commonly used for music documentation.
Notes Style Sheet (Music Library Association)
Online style sheet used by the editors of Notes, the Journal of the Music Library Association.
Writing about Music: An Introductory Guide
A handbook for undergraduate students in music classes on writing and research methods.
Creative Arts Reference ML 3797 .W54 2002
