Full score: complete composition with each part displayed on separate staff
Miniature score (study score, pocket score): size reduction of a full score for study purposes
Condensed score (particella): principal instrumental parts printed usually two to four staves to provide basic melodies and harmony, with instrumentation shown by exact indications within staves
Score and parts: contains score and all parts issued together
Piano reduction (piano score): full orchestration reduced for keyboard with a separate staff for the soloist; also an orchestra score reduced to a piano version
Vocal score (piano vocal score, organ vocal score): separate lines for vocal soloist and chorus with reduced instrumental accompaniment
Chorus score: choral parts displayed with no accompaniment or accompaniment reduced for keyboard
Close score: used for vocal music, puts all vocal parts on two staves
Contains 400,000 pages of classical scores from both in-copyright and public domain editions. The major composers output is represented, as well as many lesser known composers and works.
RISM International Inventory of Musical Sources after 1600 is an annotated index and guide to music manuscripts produced after 1600, containing more than 564,000 records by over 19,500 composers into one database which can be easily searched. The manuscripts are found in over 740 libraries and archives in 31 countries. Coverage: after 1600 (mainly 1600-1850)
Scores in our Research Collection can be borrowed for in-house use from the Book Delivery Desk on the 2nd floor of the McKim building. We also have scores available to take home from our open shelves on the 2nd floor of the Boylston Street building and from each of the branches. Check our catalog for availability.
Classical Scores Library can be accessed anywhere with a valid BPL library card!