Classical Music
Special Resource Pages:
On this page:
Welcome
Searching for classical music from Albinoni to Zelenka? You'll find something of interest here for you!
Feel like listening to classical music while you read this? Just enter your library card number and last name to listen to 276,000 tracks of streamed music from the NAXOS, BIS, Chandos, CPO, Hanssler, Hungaroton, and Marco Polo labels.
Focus on Classical Music
The Proms
- It is Proms season in the United Kingdom, which is much more than people bobbing to the 'Sailor's Hornpipe': 76 concerts in total span nine weeks over late summer, featuring music from John Adams to Bernd Alois Zimmermann. More correctly known as the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, the Proms have been a London institution since 1895 and have had the Royal Albert Hall as their main venue since 1942. This year's season included two Dr Who Prom Concerts, hosted by members of the cast and featuring music from the TV series, but also composers such as Holst ('Mars', from The Planets) and Orff ('O Fortuna' from Carmina burana).
- Recently the BBC launched their extensive Proms Archive where you can search works, composers or performers, and create your own Top 40 lists: great for trivia gatherers, researchers and those wanting to indulge in musical nostalgia.
Books and CDs
The Proms: a new history, edited by Jenny Doctor and David Wright ; consultant editor, Nicholas Kenyon.- Discusses "... how key social trends have changed the Proms and how, moving with the times, the Proms have continued to shape the musical tastes and listening habits of a nation. Fully illustrated with images from over a century - venues, celebrated performers, programmes and prospectuses, social context, and of course the Prommers themselves - this book brings the history of a great musical institution vividly to life." (summary from Google Books).
- Music for the Last Night of the Proms, music CD.
- All the last night favourites (including the aforementioned 'Sailor's Hornpipe' in Fantasia on British Sea Songs).
- Performers: Sarah Walker, Ray Simmons, Sir Charles Groves (conductor), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Chorus.
- BBC Proms: the centenary 1895-1995, music CD.
- Some original proms recordings (presumably not from 1895), including Symphonie funebre et triomphale: op. 15. 3rd movement (Berlioz), Suite from Der Rosenkavalier: op. 59 (Richard Strauss), and 'Tea for two: Tahiti trot'.
New to the library
Spotlight Review
Stradivari, by Stewart Pollens.- "For over 200 years, Antonio Stradivari has been universally regarded as the greatest violin maker who ever lived, yet it is not widely known that he made virtually every kind of bowed- and plucked-string instrument popular in the Baroque period, including lutes, viols, mandolins, guitars, and harps. Stradivari provides a fascinating biography of this legendary maker, based on newly discovered material in church and civic archives, alongside technical descriptions and analyses of many of the maker's workshop materials preserved in the Museo Stradivariano in Cremona, particularly as they relate to extant and lost instruments, baroque stringing and instrument adjustment, and early performance practice. There are separate chapters for each type of instrument, allowing the reader to easily locate information. The book contains tables of measurements of Stradivari's forms and patterns, over 100 black and white photographs and drawings, and colour photographs of 16 of Stradivari's most important violins, violas, and cellos." (Amazon.co.uk)
All new classical CDs
Check out our new book lists section for a complete list of all new classical CDs at the library, compiled every month.
Other recent items
MyLibrary:
Have a look at the libraries' Classical Music recent picks for more new CDs, biographies of classical musicians and new scores.
MyLibrary is a free service which allows you to set up your own portal page to collect lists of new books, CDs and DVDs in the library. Our librarians compile these lists on a monthly basis across the different subject areas in the library's collection, and for many subjects these monthly lists are available going back a number of years.
Magazines
In print @ the library
Lending classical music magazines are shelved in the Art, Music & Literature Magazine collection on the first floor of the Central Library, and in the branches on the magazine stands.
Here are links into the catalogue for just a few of our most popular classical music magazines:
BBC Music Magazine | Gramophone | Opera Now | The Strad | Pianist
Catalogue search
Online journals & articles
Each site contains at least some full-text of the print magazines
- www.bbcmusicmagazine.com
- www.gramophone.co.uk - the mighty Gramophone
- www.ffaire.com (Not to be confused with Fanfare - the American reviewing magazine).
- www.lafolia.com - containing more in-depth new music reviews and articles
- www.opera-opera.com.au - Australasia's independent monthly newspaper of musical theatre.
- Music and Vision - focusing on news e.g. concert reviews, upcoming event,although there are articles.
- All Things Strings - sample articles from the latest issue always available.
- Music for the love of it - excerpts include themes around musicianship, and musicality and ensemble skills for the amateur performer.
See also...
The library also has some subscription databases available to library members - check out our MyGateway Music Page, and search across thousands of articles on a range of music-related topics.
Searching the Catalogue
Can't find what you need above?
Try searching our Catalogue. Below you'll find some tips for searching for classical music.
If you know parts of the title and the composer...
The best way is to select the Advanced button on the left hand side of the main catalogue screen, enter the composer's name under 'Author or Name', type what you know of the title and format in the 'Keywords' option; then Click Search.
E.g. Puccini, Tosca
Works with a "title" e.g. Carmen...
Use the 'Title browse', or 'Title keyword' options.
Note: Ignore articles in all language including English, e.g. The, Die, Le, La etc.
Need more help?
You can find more detailed help on how to search for classical music on our Classical Music Search Tips page.
Shelf Help: Scores
| Subject: | Dewey Number: |
|---|---|
| Vocal music | 780 |
| Operas and musicals | 780.7 |
| Part songs | 780.4 |
| Sacred music including Masses, Oratorios, Cantatas | 780.5-780.6 |
| Solo Vocal Collections | 780 |
| Instrumental music | 781 |
| Cello | 781.35 |
| Flute | 781.11 |
| Guitar | 781.25 |
| Organ | 781.7 |
| Piano | 781.4 |
| Piano duet | 781.6 |
| Pianos (2) | 781.64 |
| Violin (Also includes Trios, quartets etc. of the same instrument.) |
781.3 |
| Chamber and orchestral combinations | 782 |
| Piano trios | 782.2 |
| String trios | 782.1 |
| Strong quartets | 782.3 |
| String quintets | 782.5 |
| Wind quintets | 782.6 |
| Wind sextets | 782.65 |
| Orchestral scores | 782.7 |
| Other combinations of quintet/sextets etc. | 782.7 |
| Miniature scores of any kind of work | 782.77 |
Useful Websites & Online Databases
- NEW!: BBC Proms Archive
Lists "performances, composers, works, soloists, conductors and ensembles in its 115-year history" (see BBC article here). Browse the archive, create your own lists, and contribute your thoughts and memories. - Classical Music at the British Sound Archive
Explore 1,200 historical performances of works by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms dating from 1915 to 1958. The vast majority of these recordings are now out of print, making this a vital resource for understanding Western classical music heritage. The broad scope of recordings in the Classical Music section allows listeners to compare performance styles from the USA to Denmark to Russia. - NAXOS classical music
Now free online to Wellington library members. Just enter your library card details to listen to 276,000 tracks of streamed music from the NAXOS, BIS, Chandos, CPO, Hanssler, Hungaroton, and Marco Polo labels, with 500 new CDs added each month. Includes over 100 New Zealand CDs! - NZLive.com
This site will tell you what's happening in the New Zealand Arts scene. Check out the highlights in upcoming Wellington musical events. - MusicAustralia
A new online service to help you find, access and navigate a rich store of information on Australian music, musicians, organisations and services from a single access point. Drawing on the extensive bibliographic resources contained in the National Bibliographic Database (NBD), and a new database on Australian music and music organisations, MusicAustralia delivers information on about 130,000 music items. Browse topical themes such as sport or war songs. - The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
This is an archive of texts to lieder and other art songs. There are composer and poet indexes plus a word search function if the title of the song has escaped you. plus links to translation guides. - Allclassical.com
General biographical material as well as access to works listings. - Cadence
A database of choral sets and orchestral parts held by New Zealand choirs, orchestras and libraries. - Classical Composers' Archive
Wide range of composer information, including "today's musical history". Ever heard of Firkusny? Definitely includes the obscure and hard to find! - British Library Music collections
A premier music library's collections and resources. Take a look at their catalogues or online exhibitions. Try their Mozart's thematic catalogue from February 1784 until December 1791 (the last 7 years of his life). - www.sounz.org.nz
Centre for New Zealand music : developing and fostering New Zealand music, its creation, performance, publication, recording and broadcast by working with and on behalf of NZ composers. - www.tunespotting.com
Tunespotting is a melody search engine. While there is the usual database to search, beyond that, you can search by playing your computer keyboard or by entering notes on a stave. - MyGateway Music Page
Search across thousands of articles on a range of music-related topics and browse online magazines at our MyGateway Music Page. - Classical orchestra links
Orchestral news and links to the key world orchestras, including our own Vector Wellington Orchestra and NZSO.
Contact us
This page is written and maintained by Bridget. My aim is to keep you informed about the classical music and scores section of the library and to highlight parts of the collection which may interest you. Comments and suggestions about this page or the classical music collection are welcomed to Bridget.
