Medieval Music Research Guide

Medieval Music Home

1.) To research musical terms or read an overview of music history, consult the resources listed below.

2.) To search journal articles and library resources (books, etc.), search the Library Catalog and music-specific databases.

3.) For research assistance, please contact Music Librarian using the contact info in the left column.

Grove Music Online This link opens in a new window
Includes Grove Music Online - an encyclopedia of composers, performers, musical terms, places, instruments, eras, and much more. Works lists and bibliographies are excellent reference sources. Oxford Music Online now Oxford Music Online now incorporates Grove Music Online, the Oxford Dictionary of Music, and the Oxford Companion to Music. Users can search or browse, including advanced searching within biographies and bibliographies, and refine searches by source and specific era or subject category, or use more advanced searching within biographies and bibliographies. Users can also choose to view biographies, subject entries, or images when searching or browsing.

Oxford History of Western Music
A comprehensive music history beginning with the development of musical notation in the early middle ages and ending with the late twentieth century. If you're looking for a basic overview of a time or trend in music history, this is a great place to look.

Naxos Music Library This link opens in a new window
Naxos Music Library also has an app for their service (Android and iOS) that is free with an account. To register for a free account, go to Naxos (through the Library website), select the "Playlists" tab, and then select "Sign up" (the link is on the right side of the screen). Once you have established an account, you will be able to log into the app and search Naxos's entire catalog. You can also create personal playlists.

Music Online: Listening This link opens in a new window
Music Online: Listening is a multidisciplinary collection of audiovisual content that touches on the curriculum needs of virtually every department. It allows students and researchers alike to analyze unique and valuable content from over 500 producers and distributors around the world.

Music Index This link opens in a new window
Indexes music journal and magazine articles from 1970-present. Some full-text links available.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Arts and humanities database on language and literature, music, film studies, folklore, performing arts, religion, and the study of art and architecture.