Public domain works are works not covered by intellectual property rights, often from expired copyrights. For scores, typically anything published before 1923 is in the public domain.
Below are some great websites offering public domain music scores:
If we don't have what you need:
You can also:
Request through InterLibrary Loan (ILL)
*note: you cannot request scores or recordings through MOBIUS (only books). You must use ILL for music.
Music is published in different languages, so a uniform title is added in the catalog so you can bring up all versions of a musical work, regardless of what language it's published in.
For example:
The Rite of Spring (English)
Le Sacre de Printemps (French)
Vesna sviashchennaia (Russian)
This piece was composed in France, by a Russian composer, and is known in English as "The Rite of Spring". You'll see scores and recordings with the title in any one of those languages.
The uniform title is often in the language of the composer (in this case, Russian). If you know the uniform title, search for it by title to get all versions/editions of that piece.
If you don't know the uniform title, try searching with the title in one or more languages.
When you find an item in the catalog, click on the Uniform Title to find all other versions of that piece the library owns.
You can also click on the author to find all items by that person in the catalog.
In the search tool, use the left-hand column to limit your search to only Music Score or Audio Recording.
It's helpful to include the Opus number (or BWV, K, etc.) in your search if you know it.
Not all scores and recordings have an English translation, so try truncating. The "*" acts as a wild card.
sonat* =
symphon* =
This site is maintained by the librarians of George A. Spiva Library.
If you have a question or comment about the Library's LibGuides, please contact the site administrator.