Special Collections

Except for microform materials, which are available whenever the Music/Dance Library service desk is open, special collection items are available by appointment. For information, call 614-292-2319. Rare or fragile items are subject to restricted use.

American Broadcasting Company Sheet Music Collection

Approximately 16,000 pieces of sheet music of popular songs from c. 1920 to 1960, donated to the Library by the American Broadcasting Company. In process. Finding Aid available.

J. S. Bach: works in manuscript [microform]

(Musikhandschriften der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz)

ML134.B2 S73 1997 Microfiche fiche1-1913

Reproductions of manuscripts and copies of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, his sons, and other members of the Bach family, held by the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Each part is accompanied by a user's guide. Suppl. 1: material currently held in the Biblioteka Jagiellonska, Kraków. Suppl. 2: material returned from Kiev, now on deposit with the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz.

Microfiche A 1-258; B 1-1347 - Suppl. 1. Bestände der ehemaligen Preussischen Staatsbibliothek. Depositum Universitätsbibliothek Krakau. Microfiche A S1-9; B S1-5 - Suppl. 2. Die Bach-Sammlung aus dem Archiv der Sing-Akademie zu Berlin. Depositum Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Microfiche S2 1-294

Jacques Barzun Recordings Collection

Approximately 700 recordings — mainly vinyl LPs — of music of many styles and genres that the cultural historian Jacques Barzun collected for his personal use from c.1950 to 2000. Donated by him to the Library in August 2009. Barzun's 2-volume Berlioz and the Romantic Century, published in 1950, is still considered a definitive study of the composer; the collection contains a large number of Berlioz performances that Barzun thought particularly good. Also of interest are a number of private recordings, e.g., a recording of Strauss's Daphne made in 1948 for soprano Rose Bampton and a 1924 recording of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore with George Baker, baritone, and Elsie Griffin, soprano. The recordings are catalogued numerically, JBLP 0001 to JBLP 0681. Finding Aid.

Clare Grundman Archive

The collection consists primarily of manuscripts (full scores and sketches) of instrumental and vocal works by American composer and arranger Clare Grundman (1913–1996), an alumnus of OSU. Finding Aid.

Music manuscripts from the great English collections

M2 .M635 microfilm

994 microfilm reels. Click the "Guide" link for a list of contents. To search several collections at once, click here, and then scroll through the list of collection titles to "Music Manuscripts." Select the collections to be searched by pressing the "Ctrl" (PC) or "Command" (Mac) key while clicking. An item-level index is also available on CD-ROM (M2 .P75) and a printed guide is shelved under the same call number as the microfilms.

Series I (113 reels): Guide, Series I: The music collection of the Bodleian Library, Oxford - Introduction/Description

pt. 1: The Oxford Music School collection at the Bodleian Library Library, Oxford

pt. 2: The Court Odes / William Boyce

pt. 3: The music manuscripts of William Boyce and Maurice Greene

pt. 4: Unpublished English music manuscripts before 1850, Section A

pt. 5: Unpublished English music manuscripts before 1850, Section B

pt. 6: Unpublished continental music manuscripts of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Series II (87 reels): Guide, Series II: The music collection of St. Michael's College, Tenbury - Introduction/Description

pt. 1: Unpublished English and continental music manuscripts before 1650

pt. 2: Unpublished English centuries

pt. 5: Unpublished English music manuscripts of the nineteenth century.

Series III (60 reels): Guide, Series III: The music collection of Christ Church, Oxford - Introduction/Description

pt. 1: The most important manuscripts of English music selected from manuscripts 2-520

pt. 2: The most important manuscripts of English music selected from manuscripts 521-1246, and Gibbs 12

pt. 3: The most important manuscripts of continental music selected from manuscripts 3- 1216.

Series IV (291 reels): Guide, Series IV: The music manuscript collection of the British Library, London - Introduction/Description

pts. 1 and 2: Polyphonic music before c.1640, sections A and B

pts. 3 and 4: English music manuscripts c.1640-1714, sections A and B

pt. 5: The Chapel Royal part-books in the British Library Royal Music Collection, c. 1670-1850

pt. 6: Handel manuscripts in the British Library, section A: operas, serenades and odes

pt. 7: Handel manuscripts in the British Library, section B: oratorios and church music

pt. 8: Handel manuscripts in the British Library, section C: instrumental music, cantatas and other music

pts. 9 and 10: English music manuscripts, c. 1714 -1810, sections A and B

pts. 11, 12 and 13: British music manuscripts, c. 1810-c.1900.

Series V (159 reels): Guide, Series V: The music collection of the Royal College of Music, London - Introduction/Description

pts. 1 and 2: English music manuscripts before c. 1800, sections A and B

pts. 3, 4, 5 and 6: Continental music manuscripts before 1850

pts. 7 and 8: English music manuscripts, c. 1800-1870, sections A and B

pt. 9: English music manuscripts, c. 1870-1930, sections A and B.

Series VI (142 reels): Guide, Series VI: The music collections of the Cambridge Libraries - Introduction/Description 

pt. 1: Music manuscripts before 1850 from Cambridge University Library and Ely Cathedral

pt. 2: Music manuscripts in the Rowe Music Library, King's College, Cambridge

pt. 3: Handel manuscripts in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

pt. 4: English music manuscripts before c. 1880 in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

pts. 5 and 6: Continental music manuscripts from the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, sections A and B.

Series VII (66 reels): Guide, Series VII: The Music collection of the Royal Academy of Music, London - Introduction/Description

pt. 1: British and continental music manuscripts, section A

pt. 2: British and continental music manuscripts, section B

pt. 3: Previously uncatalogued music manuscripts.

Series VIII (53 reels): Guide, Series VIII: The Gerald Coke Handel collection - Introduction/Description

pt. 1: Manuscripts of individual works

pt. 2: Composite volumes and miscellanies and additional printed and manuscript items

pt. 3: The Shaftesbury manuscripts.

Series IX (23) reels: Guide, Series IX: Music manuscripts from chapel and cathedral libraries - Introduction/Description

pt. 1: The music collection of St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

Deutsches Musikgeschichtliches Archiv

Approximately 3,500 titles on 550 microfilm reels, chiefly documents in Renaissance and early Baroque music found in German libraries. A guide to the contents, Katalog der Filmsammlung, is shelved in the main reading room. ML120 .G3 K3

Italian music manuscripts in the British Library

M2 .I826 microfilm

283 microfilm reels. Click the "Guide" link for a list of contents. To search several collections at once, click here, and then scroll through the list of collection titles to "Italian Music Manuscripts." Select the collections to be searched by pressing the "Ctrl" (PC) or "Command" (Mac) key while clicking. An item-level index is also available on CD-ROM (M2 .P75) and a printed guide is shelved under the same call number as the microfilms.

Section A (46 reels): Italian music manuscripts, c. 1640-c. 1720. - Guide, Sections A-D

pt. 1. Manuscripts from the Egerton, Harleian and Kings' Collections, and Additional Manuscripts 5044-16110

pt. 2: Manuscripts from Additional Manuscripts 16150-62716

pt. 3. Manuscripts from the Royal Music Collection

Section B (77 reels in 79): Italian music manuscripts, c. 1720-c. 1740.- Guide, Sections A-D

pt. 1: Manuscripts from Egerton and Additional manuscripts 14101-14207

pt. 2: Manuscripts from Additional manuscripts 14201-31519

pt. 3: Manuscripts from Additional manuscripts 31526-54573, and printed book e.29

pt. 4: Royal music

Section C (60 reels): Italian music manuscripts, c. 1740-c. 1770.- Guide, Sections A-D

pt. 1: Manuscripts from Egerton and Additional manuscripts 11589-16141

pt. 2: Manuscripts from Additional manuscripts 16142-56253

pt. 3: Manuscripts from the Royal music collection 21.a .-24.f.3

Section D (100 reels): Italian music manuscripts, c. 1770-c. 1820.- Guide, Sections A-D

pt. 1: Manuscripts from Egerton, Stowe 1083, and Additional manuscripts 14144-16021

pt. 2: Manuscripts from Additional manuscripts 16022-24289

pt. 3: Manuscripts from Additional manuscripts 24298-57538

pt. 4: Manuscripts from R.M.17.c.2 through R.M.23.k.6

For more information: Introduction: Italian Music Manuscripts

Reproductions of early printed music and books on music in the Houghton Library and the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library, Harvard University [microfilm]

ML136 .C3 H33 1985 microfilm

107 microfilm reels, together with a printed guide: History of music: a guide to the microfilm edition : based on Music in Harvard libr aries, a catalogue of early printed music and books on music in the Houghton Library and the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library, by David A. Wood. ML136 .C3 H33 1985 Guide

W. A. Mozart: works in manuscript [microform]

(Musikhandschriften aus der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Preussischer Kulturbesitz und aus der Jagiellonischen Bibliothek in Krakau. Teil IV. Die Mozart-Sammlung)

ML136.B5 S7374 2005 Microfiche fiche1-1163

Reproductions of holographs and manuscript copies of works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, held by the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Each part is accompanied by a user's guide containing indexes by microfiche number, manuscript number, and opus number. Parts 1, 2, 3/1, and 3/2 are early manuscript copies of Mozart's works. Parts 4 and 5 are works in Mozart's handwriting.

Sims Sheet Music Collection

The personal collection of sheet music accumulated through the adult lifetime of Lois Sims (d.2006), scores cataloger for the Ohio State University Music/Dance Library, and violinist in the Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra (antecedent of the current Columbus Symphony) and other local performance groups. The collection consists primarily of American music for voice and piano published in sheet music format between 1880 and 1966. Often featuring distinctive cover art and lyrics with topical allusions, the items document styles, historic periods, popular culture, and trends in entertainment and publishing. Finding Aid in process.

WOSU-FM Recordings Collection

22,500 vinyl LP operatic and classical recordings, given to the Library in the latter 1990s when WOSU-FM began all-digital broadcasting. Finding Aid (card catalog) available. The Collection comprises the classical instrumental and vocal LPs purchased or received as gifts at WOSU-FM beginning in the mid 1950s (the FM station went on the air in 1949), and popular and jazz LPs received by WOSU-AM in roughly the same period (the AM station began broadcasting as WEAO in 1922). The popular discs are distinguished by a red border on their shelf labels. A large part of the classical collection is devoted to opera. Early 1950s stereo recordings are distinguished by an "S" in their call number. By and large, the collection is in excellent physical condition, particularly the classical and operatic recordings. WOSU Collection Finding Aid.