Cataloging beyond the Notes: Annotating Bibliographic Records for Music Effectively in RDA; Examples Illustrating RDA in the Online Bibliographic Record, Second Edition of "Notes for Music Catalogers." by Ralph Hartsock and Peter H. Lisius (review)

Abstract

information thereafter only appearing in Bach-Digital. Meanwhile, the BachBibliographie (http://swb.bsz-bw.de/DB =2.355, accessed 6 January 2023) provides references to the vast literature on Bach’s music, which could not possibly be cited in BWV3. With the new BWV3, Blanken, Wolff, and Wollny deftly address the reality that the BWV numbering has become the de facto standard, while introducing the much more nuanced reality of the composer’s legacy that survives (and only incompletely) in original sources. Indeed, it is important to recognize that some BWV numbers disguise complex compositional processes and distinct work entities. Librarians will only infuriate their users, however, if suddenly locating a score or recording of the St. John Passion requires one to navigate between five different work records. Likewise, audiences listening to live or recorded performances should only suffer scholarly minutia to the extent that they wish to read program notes. No one should ever encounter a concert program listing a performance the B-Minor Mass as “BWV3 232.4”; the work can comfortably remain “BWV 232,” without apology. No matter the skill and care clearly evident in the organization of information in BWV3, this volume will likely prove difficult to use for many students, more than a few musicologists, and just as many library catalogers—to say nothing of concertgoers. It is also expensive. These are, perhaps, the realities of working with any sophisticated scholarly tool. Just as Bach’s music rewards intensive engagement, so too will BWV3. Christine Blanken, Christoph Wolff, and Peter Wollny have produced a catalog worthy of J. S. Bach’s extraordinary compositional legacy.