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A Guide for Music Citation - Chicago/Turabian Style

This guide supports music students by providing examples and tips for Chicago/Turabian style citation. It covers all types of music sources, including texts, scores, and recordings.

General Guidelines

  • The format (CD, Audiocassette, MP3, etc.) is always given for recordings.
  • In Turabian, places of publication are not given for recordings.
  • Sometimes the date of recording will be the same as the copyright, in which case you may omit the copyright date.
  • You may choose to begin the citation with either the composer or performer/conductor, whichever is most relevant to your argument.

One Composer

Physical Format

F:

1. Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring; Petrushka, New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, recorded January 20, 1958, and May 5, 1969, Sony Classical SMK 47629, [1993], CD.

B:

Stravinsky, Igor. The Rite of Spring; Petrushka. Conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Recorded with the New York Philharmonic. Sony Classical SMK 47629, [1993]. CD.
  • The date of publication is in brackets because it has been deduced from information not found with the CD materials.
  • Two recording dates are given because the two works on the CD were recorded at different times.

 

Online

F:

1. Eliahu Inbal, cond., Symphony No. 5, by Dmitri Shostakovich, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, recorded December 12, 2011, Exton EXCL-00080, 2012, streaming audio, accessed July 3, 2016, Naxos Music Library.
B:

Inbal, Eliahu, cond. Symphony No. 5, by Dmitri Shostakovich. Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Recorded December 12, 2011. Exton EXCL-00080, 2012, streaming audio. Accessed July 3, 2016. Naxos Music Library.
  • Eliahu Inbal is listed first because the conductor is more important than the composer for the author's argument. (For example, she may be comparing recordings by different conductors.)
  • If you are citing a recording from a website (e.g. YouTube) rather than database (e.g. Naxos), include a URL, not the name of the website.

Multiple Composers

F:

1. Aaron Copland, Fanfare for the Common Man; Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, by George Frideric Handel; Earle of Oxford’s March, by William Byrd; Adagio, by Samuel Barber; Queen of the Night, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Golyardes’ Grounde, by William Byrd; Canadian Brass, directed by Robert Moody, Opening Day Entertainment B0010557-02, 2009, CD.

B:

Copland, Aaron. Fanfare for the Common Man; Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, by George Frideric Handel; Earle of Oxford’s March, by William Byrd; Adagio, by Samuel Barber; Queen of the Night, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Golyardes’ Grounde, by William Byrd. Canadian Brass, directed by Robert Moody. Opening Day Entertainment B0010557-02, 2009. CD.
  • List the entry under the first-named composer, then include the other composers and their works as if they're part of the title.