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A Guide for Music Citation - Chicago/Turabian Style (17th ed)

This guide is largely based on the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. It does not yet incorporate changes in the 18th edition.

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.