About the Metadata Fields
Following are brief descriptions of some fields you will see in records and that you may search:
- Composer: Names of individuals responsible for composing the music of a work.
- Lyricist: Names of individuals responsible for writing the lyrics of a work.
- Arranger: Names of individuals responsible for arranging a work.
- Lithographer, Engraver, or Artist: Names of individuals or corporate bodies responsible for the printing or illustration of a work.
- Performer: Printed phrase about performers of the work, e.g., As sung by Miss Matthews; As performed by the Germania Musical Society.
- Title: The title given on the title page of a work.
- Caption Title: The title given at the top of the first page of music.
- Other Titles: Any other titles given in a work, e.g., subtitles; parallel titles in other languages.
- Publisher's Number: A numbering designation assigned to a work by a music publisher, e.g., G.A. 153; 953.9; 4924; No. 10014.
- Instrumentation: Instruments for which a work is composed, including optional instruments. Search chorus to find choral works and works that include a chorus. Use piano, not pianoforte or piano forte.
- Topic: The topic, or subject, that a vocal work is about, e.g., American Civil War; Love; Frederick II of Prussia; Sunrise.
- First Line of Text: First textual phrase of vocal works.
- First Line of Chorus: First textual phrase of the chorus, or refrain, of vocal works.
- Language: Languages of text in vocal works that contain languages other than English.
- Illustration: Description of illustrations such as scenes, portraits, and photographs.
- Inscription: Transcription of handwritten information on or inside the cover of a work, often information about who is being given the music as a gift.
- Previous Owner: Transcription of handwritten or hand-stamped name of the person who owned the printed music.
- Dedication: Printed dedication statement.
- Dealer's Stamp: Dealer or distributor information that is hand-stamped or on an affixed label.
- Additional Information: Notes about a work that contain information that does not fit into any of the above fields.
