PALATINE

A fantastic site with top-quality resources relating to work of BBC Radio 3 and its various musical interests (classical, jazz, new music, world music, etc.). Includes detailed information about broadcasts, presenters, and artists as well as downloadable recordings, interviews, and screensavers. Much of the site has educational/reference value too, with resources such as a musical timeline (illustrated with recorded musical extracts and studio discussions) and an A-Z list of artist profiles (including sound, pictures, and very substantial information on composers and performers).
(May 2002, DP)

A section of the extensive site of the Boosey & Hawkes publisher and music supplier. Easy access is provided to useful details about a large number of mainly European and American twentieth-century composers. Information includes biographical notes and details of performances and recordings.
Reviewed March 2001, by David Pearson

An index of composers, recommended recordings, and extensive links to other music information.

Includes repertoire and biographical data and CD recommendations.

List of composers (with biographies) from the Schirmer catalogue.

Some excellent links to sites with real depth/detail.

REVIEW: Although this is a highly selective list of composers, many of the names are linked to high-quality sites with in-depth material about the composer. Below the composers is a list of further sites containing composers, indexes, timelines, etc.

"The Living Composers Project is a non-profit database begun in 2000, which aims to provide composers, listeners, performers, and researchers with a source of information about the music of our time. All information included in the project has been verified by the composers in the hope of increasing both the reliability and usefulness of the information" (Living Composers Project website).
(September 2004, DP)

REVIEW: This resource is exemplary for its detail and thorough up-to-date coverage of scholarly literature on J S Bach. As well as providing a searchable, comprehensive, user-friendly, and accurate bibliography, the site includes a wealth of supplementary reviews and information relating to Bach scholarship.
Reviewed March 2001, by David Pearson.

The Britten-Pears Library was originally assembled by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) and Peter Pears (1910-1986), as a working library drawn from their personal collections. It currently houses extensive collections of manuscripts and printed music, books on a wide range of subjects, sound and video recordings, photographs, and archives of letters, ephemera and papers of organisations with which Britten and Pears were closely associated. An electronic catalogue of holdings ctalogued to date is available for searching online.

List of resources.

Includes information about Cornelius Cardew and other members of Scratch Orchestra.

This large collection brings images on-screen, including autograph manuscripts, writings, correspondence, and photographs. The collection spans the years 1910 to 1990, including a set of articles by prominent musicians in tribute to Copland's 75th birthday. The collection can be searched by keyword or browsed by type of resource. An essential resource for scholars of Copland and this period of American musical history.
(December 2001, DP)

A site for the Janáček Archive at the Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic. Selected contents of the archive are clearly listed and reproduced with basic biographical and bibliographical information relating to the composer's life and works. The most enticing feature is the reproduction of photographs (of Brno, Janáček and his study), facsimiles (of autograph manuscripts, title pages and editions) and letters to and from the composer ranging from 1890 to 1926. The textual sections and bibliography, though somewhat limited and outdated, provide a suitable introduction to Janáček rather than an extensive scholarly resource. However, a scholar wishing to plan a visit to the Czech Republic will find invaluable links to Czech transport systems and musical/historical institutes, archives and societies. The scope of the site is developing and shows potential to grow into a key resource for students of Janáček and scholars of Czech history.
(March 2001, DP)

From the University of North Texas Music Library.
Emerging from the Lully Web Project, this extensive site contains information relating to the University of North Texas Music Library Lully Collection. The library collection includes rare scores of operas and ballets by Lully and his sons. This website provides a variety of information about these works, and the performances and culture surrounding them. Information is diverse and includes illustrations, biographies, a bibliography and discography, and a range of other historical data.
(November 2002, DP)

"Site dedicated to the composer Jules Massenet one of the most significant musicians of the French patimony, the author of 25 operas, 4 oratorics, orchestral and piano music, more than 280 songs..."

Official site of the Serge Prokofiev Foundation.
(May 2003, DP)

Background information on the life and works of the composer Maurice Ravel.

A mine of resources about Clara Schumann and her music.

The Musical School publishing house based in Saint Petersburg is a new publisher specializing in disseminating material currently hidden in archives. A current project is entitled "Treasures of Saint-Petersburg Musical Archives" and includes a book on Stravinsky's orchestrations of Beethoven and Mussorgsky's "Song of the Flea" by Arkady Klimovitsky, translated by Stuart Campbell. Available from Barnes and Noble.
Reviewed December 2002, by David Pearson

Compiled by Hannu Salmi, this extensive site includes lists of musical and literary works, bibliographies, essays, images, and links.
(May 2003, DP)