How to find Scores & Recordings in CONSORT

Searching for scores and recordings can be tricky – especially since different titles can be used to describe the same piece of music! (more on this later). Use the techniques below to help you successfully find what you need.

Keyword Searching

This is the easiest way to search for scores and/or recordings in CONSORT. It gives you flexibility and will often produce useful results. Use a combination of composer and title terms. For example, if you are looking for a recording of Le Nozze di Figaro by W.A. Mozart, search using the terms ‘mozart’ and ‘nozze’.

See screenshot of this search.

Author Search

Use this technique to find recordings that feature a particular artist or performing group. For example, to find recordings that feature Dawn Upshaw, perform an author search using last name first.

Advanced Search Form

Use this technique to limit your search by material type. For example, to retrieve only scores, select ‘Scores’ in the ‘Other Material Type’ box.

See screenshot of this search.

The Advanced Search also allows you to combine fields to create more complex searches. For example, combine author and keyword fields to find symphonies by Beethoven.

See screenshot of this search.

Uniform Titles

These are “official titles” that trace all of the manifestations of a given title to one source. In other words, different titles can be used to describe the same piece of music. For example, different scores of a Mozart string quartet could feature titles that differ in terms language and/or wording:

• Quartet, G Major for 2 violins, viola, and violoncello
• Quartet no. 14 in G major (K. 387)
• Quartett für 2 Violinen, Viola und Violoncello G-Dur, KV 387
• String quartet no. 14 in G major, KV 387
• Streichquartett in G : KV 387

Finding all of these through a keyword search might be tricky, but the Uniform Title would allow you to draw all of them together into one place.

Uniform Titles are usually found as clickable links at the top of CONSORT records:

In this case, clicking on Quartets, strings, K. 387, G major will, in theory, bring together all of the recordings and scores of Mozart’s G major string quartet.

Generally, there are three types of Uniform Titles - each constructed using certain rules:

1. Form: These are used to describe pieces that use generic terminology (song, concerto, sonata, etc.) as part of their title. For example, the uniform title for W.A. Mozart's String Quartet no. 14 in G major would be: Quartets, strings, K. 387, G major
   
   
2. Distinctive: These are used to describe titles that use distinctive terminology, like the Marriage of Figaro. In this case, the Distinctive Uniform Title would be: Le Nozze di Figaro, because Distinctive Uniform Titles always use the title's original language.
   
   
3. Collective: These are used to describe scores or recordings that contain more than one piece of music. For example, the Collective Uniform Title for a recorded collection of Beethoven's piano sonatas would be: Sonatas, piano.

No one expects you to know how to construct one for each piece of music, but a general knowledge of how they are constructed will help you search for scores and recordings more effectively.

For an excellent tutorial how Uniform Titles are used and contructed, click here.

If you have any questions, ask the music librarian!