One specific musical work can exist in multiple formats, including full conductor's scores, miniature study scores, arrangements, transcriptions, piano-vocal reductions, instrumental parts, popular sheet music compilations, "fake book" lead sheets.
A single work may be published in several languages and editions, resulting in multiple unique catalog entries.
Works may be published in compilations or in series, and smaller works may be components of larger works, such as individual songs within song cycles.

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Scores are arranged according to the Library of Congress system. A print guide with an index to the “M Class” is shelved at M1.1, across from the elevator.

Identify title information

Uniform Titles

Uniform titles are unique titles assigned to all manifestations of a musical work. They serve several purposes, including to:

Group together variants of a work under a title unique to that work

Variants of Bizet's Carmen:

Carmen. (this is the complete opera)
Carmen. Selections ("highlights" on a CD)
Carmen. German & French (a printed score with the sung text in two languages)
Carmen. Libretto. German & English (text only in two languages, no musical notation)
Carmen. Danse boheme; arr. (in this case, one aria arranged for trumpet solo)

Identify works with generic names

Some titles for the same Beethoven violin sonata:

Violin Sonata opus 24
Sonata no. 5 : for piano and violin
Sonata in F major
"Spring" Sonata

use: Sonatas, violin, piano, no. 5, op. 24, F major

Identify works published in multiple languages

The Rite of Spring
Le Sacre du Printemps
Frühlingsopfer

use: Vesna sviashchennaia (the title in Stravinsky's original Russian is preferred)

You will see a work's uniform title at the top of the SearchWorks record; you may click on it to find more entries for that work. The format filter will allow you to limit to scores or recordings. Composer/uniform title combinations also display as links when they are added titles in a SearchWorks record.

Learn more about uniform titles with this tutorial from Indiana University.

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Identify title information

Uniform Titles

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