Dickinson classification

From HandWiki

The Dickinson classification is a library classification scheme used to catalogue and classify musical compositions. It was developed by George Sherman Dickinson (1886–1964), and published in 1938.[1] It is used by many music libraries, primarily those at Vassar[2] and Columbia Universities.

It is also recorded, albeit incompletely, by Carol June Bradley in The Dickinson Classification for Music, published in 1972.[3]

Class 000 – Miscellaneous

000 Several or special classes

  • 010 Manuscripts
  • 020 Incunabula, rare editions
  • 030 Facsimiles
  • 040 Monuments (Denkmäler)
  • 050 Collected works of one composer
  • 060 Partial collections, several classes, of one composer
  • 070 Methods, tutors, etc., with some text
  • 080 Other miscellaneous
  • 090 Historical collections compiled to illustrate the history of music or some phase of it

Classes 100–600 – Instrumental

100 Keyboard

200 Bowed strings

300 Winds

400 Plucked strings, percussion, mechanical and miscellaneous instruments

Plucked strings

Percussion

  • 460 Percussion

Mechanical and miscellaneous instruments

  • 470 Solely electronic music, musique concrète
  • 480 Electronic music in combination with conventional instruments

500 Chamber ensembles

  • 520 Bowed string ensembles
  • 530 Wind ensembles[lower-alpha 1]
  • 540 Plucked string with percussion
  • 550 Bowed string and wind ensembles

600 Orchestral ensembles

  • 610 Full orchestra
  • 620 String orchestra
  • 630 Band or wind orchestra
  • 650 Chamber orchestra
  • 680 Concerti
    • 685 Double, triple, etc., concerti
    • 689 Concerti grossi

Classes 700–900 – Vocal (with or without instruments)

700 Vocal solo and solo ensembles

  • 710 Voice solo and 1 instrument, secular
  • 750 Voice solo and 1 instrument, sacred
  • 780 Folk music

800 Choral ensembles

  • 810 Secular choral works
  • 850 Sacred choral works
  • 880 Liturgic choral works

900 Dramatic ensembles

  • 910 Operas
  • 950 Ballets
  • 980 Incidental music

Notes

  1. Such as woodwind quartets or wind quintets; not to be confused with 630 Band or wind orchestra, which may also be referred to as wind ensembles.

References

  1. Dickinson, George Sherman (1938). Classification of musical compositions; a decimal-symbol system. Poughkeepsie, NY: Vassar College. 
  2. Canino, Sarah. "Libraries: The George Sherman Dickinson Music Library: Musical Score call numbers" (in en). https://library.vassar.edu/musiclibrary/home/musical-score-call-numbers. 
  3. Bradley, Carol June (1972). "The Dickinson Classification for Music". Fontes Artis Musicae 19 (1/2): 13–22. ISSN 0015-6191. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23505207.