Guide to Organ
Here you will find an overview of organ resources at the State Library with search tips.
The Collection
Scores for Loan
Our collection covers music for pipe and electronic organs, as well as for accordion, spinet organ, concertina, harmonium and reed organ. There are tutors for students of varying levels of ability, from beginners to skilled players wishing to increase their technical ability. The standard pipe organ repertoire is well-covered and supplemented by scores on pedalling, of exercises, studies, organ symphonies, sonatas, chorale preludes and arrangements. Collections feature sacred music for specific events in church calendars such as Christmas, Advent, Easter, weddings, funerals and general service music, such as processionals, recessionals and voluntaries. Music for electronic organ includes tutors for a variety of organs and keyboards, as well as arrangements of popular, music theatre, film, sacred, dance and jazz music.
We collect most works listed from Grade 4 and above in the Australian Music Examinations Board syllabuses for Organ and Electronic Organ. Urtext, European, English, American and Australian editions give students choice in interpretation, fingering, pedalling and other editorial influences.
Reference Material
The reference collection of books, journals and electronic databases includes material on the history of the organ, organ building, tuning, maintenance and rebuilding, composers of organ music, technique, repertoire, analyses and bibliographies.
Recordings
We hold a collection of CDs and LPs that can be listened to on-site. Recordings of different performances of standard works are collected in order to enhance the student's listening experience. You can also listen to tracks using the on-line database Naxos Music Library. There is a small classical loan collection of audio cassettes available.
Searching for Scores and Recordings
Scores and recordings can be found by using the catalogue and searching by composer. You may search by title, but you may not find all copies of the work if you only use one translation of the title, such as The little organ book instead of Orgelbuchlein. Use our Guide to Searching for Classical Music Scores as a starting point. All organ music can be found on the shelves at the classification R.
You may also search by subject. For arrangements, add the term Arranged at the end of the subject. Useful subject searches are:
- Organ music
- Organ music, Arranged
- Organ (Musical instrument) - Instruction and study
- Organ (Musical instrument) -- Methods
- Canons, fugues, etc. (Organ)
- Chorale preludes
- Sonatas (Organ)
- Suites (Organ)
- Symphonies (Organ)
- Electronic organ music
- Electronic organ music, Arranged
- Electronic organ - Methods
Searching for Information
The book and journal material can be found using the catalogue. If you are looking for a specific title, use the author or title search. If you are looking for material on a subject, use the keyword or subject option. Useful subject and keyword searches are:
- Organ (Musical instrument)
- Organ builders
- Organ music
- Organists
- History
- History and criticism
- Registration
- Tuning
- Construction
- Maintenance and repair
- Analysis, Appreciation
- Instruction and study
- Interpretation (Phrasing, dynamics, etc.)
- Bibliography
Further information on this site
Page last updated: 30/07/2009 13:48:35