Organ Music
PDF Guide
Classification Numbers for Organ Music
| M6–M14 | Organ alone: |
| M6 | Collections, mixed (original works and arrangements; more than one composer) |
| M7 | General collections (one composer) |
| M8 | Sonatas |
| M8.5 | Symphonies |
| M9 | Suites, Variations, and Cyclical Works |
| M10 | Fugues (with or without preludes) |
| M11 | Pieces |
| M11.2 | Pedal pieces |
| M12 | Arrangements: collections |
| M13 | Arrangements: separate works |
| M14 | Books (accompaniments to collections of psalms and hymns) |
| M14.3-.5 | Liturgical music (special seasons and occasions) |
| M14.8 | Electronic Organ music |
| M180-186 | Duets |
| M180-181 | One or more organs, two or more players |
| M182-186 | Organ and one other instrument |
| M300–M304 | Trios, organ and two other instruments |
| M400–M404 | Quartets, organ and three other instruments |
Quartets, quintets, sextets, septets, octets, and nonets follow similar patterns (in the M400s, 500s, 600s, 700s, 800s, and 900s, respectively).For more details, see M: Music and Books on Music, available at the reference desk or at the index table in the reference section (Z696.U5 M 1998).
Concertos and similar pieces:
| M1005 | Organ with orchestra, full scores |
| M1005.5 | Cadenzas for such works |
| M1006 | Organ with orchestra, piano reductions |
| M1108 | Organ with string orchestra, full scores |
| M1108.5 | Cadenzas for such works |
| M1109 | Organ with string orchestra, piano reductions |
Studies and methods:
| MT180 | General works |
| MT182 | Systems and methods; Studies and exercises |
| MT185 | General works: special techniques |
| MT187 | Special techniques: pedal |
| MT189 | Special techniques: registration |
| MT190 | Special techniques: accompaniment of liturgical music |
| MT193 | Teaching pieces; Instructive editions |
| MT198 | Self-instructors |
Not all organ music in the Cook Music Library is out on the shelf.Please consult IUCAT to find information about music that is checked out or in the Frontlog.
Subject Headings
(for subject searches in IUCAT or WorldCat)
| Solo organ music: | organ music; sonatas (organ); suites (organ); fugues (organ); passacaglias (organ); etc. |
| Duets: | organ music (organs (2)); organ music (4 hands) |
| Organ with other instruments: | organ with orchestra; [instrument(s)] and organ music, e.g. trumpet and organ music; trios (organ, [instrument], [instrument]) e.g. trios (organ, trumpet, trombone); quartets (organ, [various combinations]); etc.
Similar for quintets, sextets, septets, octets, and nonets. |
Selected Bibliography: Music, Recordings, Writings
Arnold, Corliss Richard. Organ Literature: A Comprehensive Survey. 3rd ed. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1995. Ref. ML600 .A753 1995
Hettinger, Sharon L. American Organ Music of the Twentieth Century: An Annotated Bibliography of Composers. Warren, MI: Harmonie Park Press, 1997. Ref. ML106 .U3 H47
Kratzenstein, Marilou.Survey of Organ Literature and Editions.Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1980. Ref. ML600 .K73
Lovelace, Austin C. The Anatomy of Hymnody. New York: Abingdon Press, 1965. BV335 .L89
Lovelace, Austin C. The Organist and Hymn Playing. Rev ed. Carol Stream, IL:Agape, 1981. MT180 .L68 O6
Lukas, Viktor. A Guide to Organ Music. Translated by Anne Wyburd from the fifth edition; with addenda by Lee Garrett; Reinhard G. Pauly, general editor. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1989. MT140 .L84
Ochse, Orpha Caroline. Organists and Organ Playing in Nineteenth-Century France and Belgium. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. ML624 .O25
Sonnaillon, Bernard. King of Instruments: A History of the Organ, trans. Stewart Spencer. New York: Rizzoli, 1985. ML550 .S66
Stauffer, George, and Ernest May, ed. J.S. Bach as Organist: His Instruments, Music, and Performance Practices. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986. ML410 .B12 J23
Williams, Peter, and Barbara Owen. Organ. London: Macmillan, 1988. ML550 .W385
Classification Numbers for Books about the Organ
| Ref. ML128 .O6 | Organ bibliographies |
| ML550 | General works |
| ML552-597 | Construction: general works; by time period; by region or country; individual instruments; special parts |
| ML600-649 | Music and playing: general works; by time period; by region or country; forms and types of music |
Selected Periodicals
| The American Organist (1979–) | ML1 .M74 |
| Ars Organi (1969–) | ML5 .A68 |
| The Hymn (1949--) | ML1 .H99 |
| The Organ (1921--) | ML5 .O68 |
| The Organ Yearbook (1970--) | ML5 .O683 |
| L’Organo (1960--) | ML5 .O684 |
| The Tracker (1956--) | ML1 .T75 |
Selected Internet Resources
| American Guild of Organists | https://www.agohq.org/ |
| Göteborg International Organ Academy | https://www.organacademy.org/ |
| Organ Focus | https://organfocus.com/ |
| Organ Historical Society | https://organhistoricalsociety.org/ |
| Pipe Organ Education Project | https://www.ibiblio.org/archive/2022/11/the-pipe-organ-education-project/ |
| St. Sulpice | www.stsulpice.com |
| Westfield Center | https://westfield.org/ |