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Guide to Using the Database

GENERAL

Searching

  • Type any text into the search bar, and results, such as:

    • Composer names or parts of names

    • Titles of works

    • Languages 

    • Numbers (1846)

    • Other words or phrases (“based on”)

  • Results appear as you type and will update with each character typed or deleted

  • Searches can match multiple fields

    • Example: typing “French” in the Works search will show results with the word “French” in the work title, anthology title, language label, and/or notes about the work - wherever there is a match

  • In addition to results based on matching the text typed into the search bar, results will also include very similar spellings. This accounts for small typing mistakes or characters with or without accents/diacritical marks

  • Note: Try refreshing the page if something does not appear as you expect

Filtering

  • Clicking a box next to a filter will show only the results that meet the filter’s criteria, eliminating all other results

    • Example: clicking the box next to “Brazil” in the Composers search will result in a list of only the composers whose country is Brazil (including composers with more than one country tag). For more information on how we define composers’ countries, please see our FAQ page.

  • Numbers in bubbles to the right of each filter label indicate how many results are represented by that filter

    • Example: in the Composers search, the first country filter is Argentina, with the number showing how many composers have Argentina listed as their country

  • Some filters are ranges. These range filters include Birth Year and Death Year (Composers search), and Publication Year and Duration (Works search)

    • Click the toggle switch to the right of each of these filters to open up controls for each range. Once the switch is clicked, a slider and two boxes will appear underneath the filter. You may click and drag each end of the slider, or enter numbers into the boxes, to filter results

  • The filters you have selected will appear at the top of the search results (right under the number of results). Clicking the “X” on the right side of a selected filter will clear that filter and update search results accordingly 

COMPOSERS SEARCH

Composer names

  • You may search in the search bar for a composer’s name, alternate name, or pseudonym. We list composers’ names based on the names they chose to use when publishing their works, and/or names by which they are most widely known

Birth and death date ranges

  • Under “Refine by birth year” and “By death year” you may enter years in each of the boxes, or move the sliders above the boxes to adjust the range. The filter is applied automatically as you type numbers or move the sliders

  • You may choose to enter only a beginning year and leave the second box unchanged (with the current year as a placeholder); or, leave the first box blank (with 0 as a placeholder) and enter only an end year

  • The results will show any composer born (or deceased) during and after the beginning year until any end year specified

    • Example: entering “800” (beginning year) and “1300” (end year) as the Birth Year range will filter for composers born between the years 800 and 1300 (including those years)

    • Example: entering “1874” in only the first box (beginning year) under Death Year will filter for composers deceased in 1874 and later

Use the following filters to narrow down your composer search:

  • Country 

    • You may type the name of a country into the search box with the placeholder text “Search All Countries…”, click one of the countries in the dropdown menu, or click one of the checkboxes next to a country name under that search box

    • Certain countries which no longer exist (such as Prussia) are included as options

  • State (for US composers only - territories are not included)

Results also include the following information about each composer:

  • Public domain photos, when available

  • Link to a website with more information about the composer (including websites originally created by or on behalf of recently deceased composers)

  • Link to a Wikipedia article about the composer

  • Notes about the composer

  • Links to their works currently in the database (clicking “Works” under the composer’s name will bring you to their works in the Works search tab)

WORKS SEARCH

Default view

  • The default view of Works search results shows works ordered alphabetically by composers’ last names, up to the first 1000 works

  • Work titles: works by composers who catalogued their music using opus numbers will usually include those opus numbers in their titles, while the abbreviation WoO (Without Opus) is used for certain works

About the filters

  • Refine by Publication Year (range)

    • You may enter numbers in each of the boxes, or move the slider above the boxes to adjust the range of years. The filter is applied automatically as you type numbers or move the sliders

  • Duration (range)

    • Under “By duration in minutes” you may enter duration numbers in each of the boxes, or move the slider above the boxes to adjust the range of minutes. The filter is applied automatically as you type numbers or move the sliders

    • In the search results, durations are listed under works in the format mm:ss or hh:mm:ss

  • Composer

    • You may type a composer’s name into the search box with the placeholder text “Search All Composers…”, click one of the names in the dropdown menu, or click one of the checkboxes next to a composer’s name under that search box

  • Instrumentation (instruments, voice types, and ensembles)

    • You may type an instrument into the search box with the placeholder text “Search All Instruments…”, click one of the instruments in the dropdown menu, or click one of the checkboxes next to an instrument under that search box

    • An instrumentation filter with a number in parentheses next to the instrument’s name will filter for works with that number of instruments

      • Checking the filter “violins (2)” will show works that have two violin parts, including chamber ensembles such as string quartets

    • Some works will have multiple instruments listed when those works have flexible instrumentation

      • Example: Klaviertrio, Op. 45 by Louise Farrenc lists flute, piano, violin, and cello; the work is scored for flute OR violin, piano, and cello

  • Composition Type

    • You may type a composition type  into the search box with the placeholder text “Search All Types…”, click one of the types in the dropdown menu, or click one of the checkboxes next to a composition type under that search box

    • Chamber works are defined as works with 1-9 performers and will also have the labels Solo, Duo, Trio, etc. to indicate the number of performers

      • We define “Solo” as a label for unaccompanied works for only one performer, while “Duo” applies to any work with two performers

      • To filter specifically for a subcategory of Chamber Music, select only the “Solo” filter for solo works, “Duo” for duos, etc. 

    • Orchestral works are separated into “orchestra”, “chamber orchestra”, and “string orchestra” categories

  • Publisher

    • The publisher listed is most often the publisher of the physical score

    • We select editions based on the most recently published and/or most accessible scores

    • The year of publication refers to the most recent year of publication available for the edition linked for score access, NOT the original year of publication or the year the work was composed

    • For pieces published in a collection, the year of publication refers to the year when the collection was published

  • Language (for sung or spoken works)

    • This filter is intended to display the language used to set the text in a work (typing the name of a language in the search bar at the top of the page will also show matches in other fields, such as a work title that includes “Italian”) 

    • Options include vocalizations other than words (syllables or wordless)

In addition to the information from selected filters, results include the following information about each work: 

  • Composer name (clicking the composer’s name under the work title will bring you to that composer in the Composers search tab)

  • Anthology title, when a work is published within a collection

  • Notes about the work

  • Score access links 

    • Publisher Score (option to purchase printed sheet music)

    • Online Score (digital access, usually in PDF format)

  • WorldCat links (library records of scores and parts)

  • CD information, when available

  • Audio and video recordings, when available

WHAT’S COMING IN THE FUTURE

  • Living composers and works by living composers

  • Manuscript/archive locations for unpublished works by non-living composers

  • Works search by orchestra instrumentation shorthand (3.2.2.3 - 2.2.3.0 - timp - strings)

  • Works search by difficulty level

  • Works search by descriptive text and/or thematic tags

  • And more!

Have more questions? Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? 
Please fill out our feedback form.
If there is information that you would like to see added to BID, please let us know. 

Thank you for your interest in learning about gender-marginalized composers and their works!