Chicago Style for Music: Bibliography Examples

Citations of articles in Grove Music Online should include the title and author of the entry. Use the abbreviation s.v. before the title of the entry (sub verbo, “under the word”). Include a posted publication or revision date for the cited entry; if none is available, supply an access date. Include a URL as the last element of citation; if the entry lists a recommended form for the URL, use that version.  (Chicago 14.233).  

Winter, Robert, Maurice Brown, and Eric Sams. “Schubert, Franz.” In Grove Music Online, edited by Deane Root. Published online, 2001. https://doi-org.cyber.usask.ca/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.25109.

Winter, Robert, Maurice Brown and Eric Sams. “Schubert, Franz.” In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrell. London: MacMillan, 2001.

For periodicals (i.e. journals and magazines) one gives the author, article title, journal title, volume, issue number, year, and page numbers. If accessed online, include the URL (followed by a period) at the end of the citation. (Chicago 14.168 – 14.187).

Everist, Mark. “Grand Opera – Petit Opera: Parisian Opera and Ballet from the Restoration to the Second Empire.” 19^th-Century Music 33, no. 3 (2010): 195-231.  https://www-jstor-org.cyber.usask.ca/stable/10.1525/ncm.2010.33.3.195.

Price, Curtis. “Italian Opera and Arson in Late Eighteenth-Century London.” Journal of the American Musicological Society 42 (1989): 55-107.

When citing an article in a book one gives the author, article title, book title, editor, page range, publisher location, publisher name, and year of publication. Precede the title of the book with “In”. (Chicago 14.107).

Chase, Gilbert. “Musicology, History, and Anthropology: Current Thoughts.” In Current Thoughts in Musicology, edited by John W. Grubbs, 231-246. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1976.

Many scores are cited just like books, though often with the addition of an editor.  If in addition to an author there are names of editors or translators, they will appear after the title but preceded by Edited by or Translated by (Chicago 14.104). If accessed online, include the URL (followed by a period) at the end of the citation. (Chicago 14.255).

Shostakovich, Dimitri. String Quartet No. 8, Opus 110. Edited by Hans Sikorski. New York: G. Schirmer, 1961.

Popper, David. Tarantelle. London: D. Rahter, 1908. http://imslp.org/wiki/Tarantella,_Op.33_(Popper,_David).

Citing a specific piece within a score is treated as a chapter in a book, or “titled part of a book.” The composer’s name is followed by the part, followed by In, followed by the title of the book or score (Chicago 14.106).

When citing a work from a series or complete works, indicate the editor, page range, series, volume, and date. If a single volume of a multivolume work is cited, only the date of that volume should appear. If an entire multivolume, multiyear work is cited, give the range of dates. If the work has not been completed, give the date of the first volume followed by a dash (Chicago, 14.144). 

Guastavino, Carlos. “Pampamapa.” In The Art Song in Latin America: Selected Works by Twentieth-Century Composers, edited by Kathleen L .Wilson with IPA and Diction sections by Arden Hopkin, 35-8. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon, 1998.

Schubert, Franz. “Fantasie.” In Klavierstücke Klaviervariationen, 42-62. Munich: G. Henle Verlag, 1992.

Schubert, Franz. “Fantasie in C.” In Werke für Klavier zu zwei Händen, Band 4 Klavierstücke I, edited by David Goldberg. Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, vol. 7, no. 2, 83-97. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1988.

When citing a web page, include as much of the following as can be determined: the title or a description of the page, the author of the content (if any), the owner or sponsor of the site, and a URL. Also include a publication date or date of revision or modification; if no such date can be determined, include an access date. (Chicago 14.205).

Reel, James. “Lyric Suite, For String Quartet.” All Music Guide. Accessed September 30, 2010. http://www.allmusic.com/work/lyric-suite-for-string-quartet-c53893/description.

Cite the recording by the element you are referring to – composer or performer.  Also include the title of the recording, performer, ensemble, conductor, label name, label number, date and format. If accessed online, include the streaming service or file format. Include a URL (followed by a period) at the end of the citation. (Chicago 14.263).

Composer. Title of Recording. Performer/Ensemble. Conductor. Label Label number, date, format.

Ravel, Maurice. Ravel: Volume Two. The Philharmonia Orchestra. Geoffrey Simon. Cala Records CACD 1005, 1991, compact disc.

Morlock, J. Cobalt. Centrediscs CMCCD20014, 2014, Naxos Music Library. https://usask-nml3-naxosmusiclibrary-com.cyber.usask.ca/catalogue/item.asp?cid=CMCCD20014

If the notes are unsigned (that is, no author is indicated), simply add “Liner notes.” to the end of the citation of the recording. Signed notes may be cited by the author’s name. If the notes are titled, the title may follow the author’s name.

Ravel, Maurice. Ravel: Volume Two. The Philharmonia Orchestra. Geoffrey Simon. Cala Records CACD 1005, 1991, compact disc. Liner notes.

Johnson, Graham. “The Italian Songbook of Hugo Wolf.” Liner notes for Italienisches Liederbuch, by Hugo Wolf. Felicity Lott, Peter Schreier, Graham Johnson. Hyperion CDA66760S, 1994, compact disc.

Morlock, J. Cobalt. Centrediscs CMCCD20014, 2014, Naxos Music Library. https://usask-nml3-naxosmusiclibrary-com.cyber.usask.ca/catalogue/item.asp?cid=CMCCD20014.Liner Notes.

Some program notes are issued as periodicals or books, and should be treated as such. Notes that are neither periodicals nor collections should include (when available) author, titles of notes, title of concert, ensemble, director, location and performance date. If no author is indicated, simply add “Program notes.” to the end of the citation of the performance.

Swaford, Jan.  “Johannes Brahms: Purely Classical & Clearly Romantic.” Program notes for Brahms Second Piano Concerto.  The Cleveland Orchestra. Franz Welser-Möst. Cleveland: Severance Hall, January 19, 2013. 

Video recordings are cited in a manner similar to sound recordings, although label and label number are not included. If the material is a recording of a speech or other performance, or if it is a digital version of a published source, include information about the original performance or source. Include an indication of the source type (e.g., “DVD”) and length.  (Chicago 14.265).

Peterson, Oscar, Dave Young, and Martin Drew. Oscar Peterson Trio: Live in Germany 1988. Recorded in Leonberg, Germany on April 25, 1988. N.p., Jazz Shots, 2010. DVD, 120 min.

When citing online multimedia such as a YouTube video, it is never enough simply to cite an electronic file name or URL, though this information should be included as well. If the material is a recording of a performance, or if it is a digital version of a published source, include information about the original performance or source. If no date can be determined from the source, include the date the material was last accessed. Include an indication of the source type (e.g., “video”) and length.  (Chicago 14.267).

“Horowitz TV Interview 1977.” Filmed March 1977. YouTube Video, 14:58. Posted by “goodmanmusica,” August 2010. http://youtu.be/eZm7OW3ufbc.

Thomas, Michael Tilson. Michael Tilson Thomas: Music and Emotion Through Time. Filmed March 2012. TED Video, 20:13. Posted May 2012. https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_tilson_thomas_music_and_emotion_through_time.

Gershwin, George. The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Performed February 2020. Metropolitan Opera Video, 3:10. https://metopera-org.cyber.usask.ca/season/on-demand/opera/?upc=810004200944.

When one cites more than one work by the same author, every citation after the first begins with a 3-em dash followed by a period (———.) in place of the author’s name. HINT: To create a 3-em dash in Microsoft Word, press [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [– on the Number Pad] 3 times. Multiple citations by the same author are alphabetized by the title of the work.  (Chicago 14.68-14.71).

Strauss, Richard. Don Juan, op. 20. London: Edition Peters, 1932.

———. Tod und Verklärung, op. 24. London: Edition Peters, 1932.

———. Violin Concerto; Sonata in E-flat. Sarah Chang. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI Classics CDC 724355687029, 2000, compact disc.

Curriculum guides are cited in a similar manner to books, although the organization is listed in the place of the author (Chicago 14.84). If the guide is accessed online, include the URL.

Ministry of Education. Instrumental Jazz 10. Regina : Ministry of Education, 2012. Accessed June 28, 2013. https://www.edonline.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/Arts_education/jazz_10.pdf

Download a PDF copy of this guide.