LibGuides: Piano: Research

Articles

Articles are great for research because they generally cover a very narrow topic in great detail. In addition, scholarly journal articles generally include a bibliography where you can find more resources on the same topic.

Journal Article Databases

Library databases provide citations for articles, book chapters, and more. Most articles/chapters focus on a narrow and specific topic, so they are great for deeper research. To get started:

Choose a database.
Search for keywords such as genres, topics, names of people, etc.
Limit your results by date, language, and more with the the left-hand menu on the results page.

Need more help?

See our Article help page for step-by-step instructions and videos to help you search databases and find full-text articles. And you can always ask a librarian for individual help.

Music Article Databases

Music Index Online This link opens in a new window
Article citations from over 700 music journals.
Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
Article citations from over 400 music journals.
RILM This link opens in a new window
Citations for scholarly music and dance books, articles, dissertations, and more.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from almost 100 scholarly music, dance, and theatre journals, plus other subjects. Excludes recent years.

Books

History Books in the Allen Library (selections)

Music for Piano by F. E. Kirby
Call Number: ML700 K58 M88 [Allen shelves]
Publication Date: 1995
A historical survey of the classical literature for solo piano from the 17th to the 20th century. Includes an extensive bibliography.
Nineteenth-Century Piano Music by R. Larry Todd
Call Number: ML706 N56 T64 2004 [Allen shelves]
Focuses on the core composers and technique of the 19th-century repertoire.
Piano Roles by James Parakilas
Call Number: ML650 P36 P53 [Allen shelves]
Publication Date: 1999
Examines the place of the piano in classical and popular musical cultures and its changing cultural roles over the past three centuries.

Find more history books

Browse by subject in the catalog, for example:
Piano > Construction
Piano > History
Piano makers
Piano music > History and criticism

Browse the shelves by call number:

Call Number	Topic
ML650 – ML697	Piano history and construction
ML700 – ML747	Piano music and playing

Performer Biographies in the Allen Library (selections)

Clara Schumann by Nancy Reich
Call Number: ML417 S39 R45 2001 [Allen shelves]
The tragedies and triumphs of Clara Wieck Schumann, artist, composer, editor, teacher, wife, and mother. Includes list of all her known compositions and works she edited.
Pianists on Playing by Linda J. Noyle
Call Number: ML397 N69 P53 [Allen shelves]
Publication Date: 2000
Twelve internationally-known keyboard artists discuss their daily lives of practicing and performing.
Piano Lessons with Claudio Arrau by Victoria A. von Arx
Call Number: MT220 A77 2014 [Allen shelves]
Illustrates Arrau's principles of technique and performance via interviews with his pupils, transcriptions of his lessons, and musical examples.

Find more biographies

Search subjects or performer names in the catalog, for example:
Pianists > Biography

Gould, Glenn
Liszt, Franz
Rubinstein, Arthur

Call Number	Topic
ML397	Collected pianist biographies
ML410	Composer biographies (for composer-pianists)
ML417	Single pianist biographies

Reference

Reference resources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more.
They often provide a short overview of a topic, then point to more resources you can use for further research.

Music Reference Databases

Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Online This link opens in a new window
Essays about music from all parts of the world.
Grove/Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
Extensive music encyclopedia with articles, works lists, and citations.
Oxford Bibliographies - Music This link opens in a new window
Lists of resources for advanced research on many music subjects.

Books in the Allen Library (selections)

A Dictionary for the Modern Pianist by Stephen Siek
Call Number: ML128 P5 S54 2017 [Allen reference]
Covers classical, jazz, and popular pianists, teachers, instrument construction terms, and major manufacturers.
Makers of the Piano 1700-1820 by Martha Novak Clinkscale
Call Number: ML652 C55 M4 [Allen reference]
Publication Date: 1995
Details about all known extant pianos built during the earliest years of the instrument's existence, as well as information about their makers.
Notable Twentieth-Century Pianists by John Gillespie and Anna Gillespie
Call Number: ML397 G54 v.1-2 [Allen reference]
Publication Date: 1995
Biographical data, style analyses, pedagogical history and methods, plus lists of references, reviews, and recordings of over 100 pianists.

Find more reference books

See all piano reference books in the catalog:
Keyboard reference
Piano reference

Browse the Reference shelves by call number:

Call Number	Topic
ML102 P5	Piano dictionaries & encyclopedias
ML128 P5	Piano bibliographies
ML652	Piano construction and makers

Suggest a Resource

Know of a resource you think should be added to this guide? Let us know!

Want to suggest we purchase something new? Contact Tracey Rudnick (rudnick@hartford.edu).

Find Full Text Articles

Search eJournal Locator for the journal title:

Need help? See our article help page or ask a librarian.