Writing About Music

How do you write about a certain Beethoven work that is known by more than one name, for example: Sonata for Piano in C Major, op. 53; Op. 53 sonata; the "Waldstein" Sonata; The Waldstein; Sonata No. 21; Klaviersonate in C-Dur op. 53?

Furthermore, when you describe sound, present analysis, write notes for a program, refer to events within a score, or discuss a manuscript, you will also want to handle terminology, foreign languages, abbreviations, examples, and systematic citation of your sources appropriately.

Use this guide to find:

• basic handbooks with plenty of examples specific to writing about music
• APA or Chicago/Turabian examples presented in music-specific contexts
• additional examples of the variety of other music-related writing from critical reports to dissertations