Classification of scores : a genre theoretical study

Introduction. As a practicing musician a stylistic form of terminology is often used, which is commonly based off of genre-specific conventions and norms. As the common users of music libraries often are practicing musicians, genre is identified as a subject/element of great importance in order to fully describe music and scores. With this point of view, the thesis aim to investigate how librarians and users make use of classification systems and classification codes. Method and theory. The primary empirical material of this thesis consists of qualitative interviews with librarians from a number of libraries, which all work with scores. The interviews were conducted with a pre-prepared questionnaire containing questions regarding how the librarians work, use and perceive the used classification systems in relation to the scores the libraries catalog and classify. The collected interview material was then compared to an analysis of the classification systems which are used by the libraries – Dewey Decimal Classification, Library of Congress Classification and the Swedish classification system ”SAB”. The main theoretical focus is genre theory, which is applied as a point of view for the analysis of both the interviews and the classification systems themselves. Analysis. The collected interview material was analyzed with a thematic sectioning. This sectioning was determined in conjunction with both certain key points from the previous research which was presented in the thesis and with the interviews themselves. The classification systems were then analyzed in relation to the presented theoretical material, with the essential theoretic perspective being genre theory. Each and one of the interviewed librarians expressed pros and cons of the classification systems they used. Some of these pros and cons were identified as recurring between the interviews. Such as the classification systems not being able to fully describe newer scores containing modern music. Results. With these analyses the thesis four main questions were then answered and presented. The librarians did see a function for the classification systems in their work, even though they were aware of the issues and problematic sides with the classification system they used. The interviewees saw the classification systems being used by the user to a lesser extent. Through the analysis of the classification, it was revealed that they do not offer genre classification to a sufficient degree, which in turn affects how useful the systems are for the music library users. Thus, the analyzed classification systems cannot describe scores in a fully fledged way. Conclusions. Even though the results show that the classification systems can’t be used to completely describe or fully grasp scores, the interviewed librarians did see them as useful in their practice. Several of the interviewees gave examples of problems within each of the classification systems, but they still saw them as useful. For the users (musicians) who are active in the genre of western art music the systems work adequately, but for users active in other genres the systems are not as useful. To evaluate whether the classification systems are relevant enough to keep using, it is necessary to both see to the opinions of the librarians currently using them, how and if the music library users use them and to what extent and how much of the cataloging is dedicated to classification. From the interviews, it is concluded that the libraries dedicate about 10-20 percent of their cataloging to classification. In relation to this and how the librarians see the classification systems as useful to a certain degree, it is concluded that the classification systems do have a purpose as an underlying structure and categorizing structure. This thesis has however come to illuminate some of the problems in the classification systems which pertain to genre and genres importance in describing music and scores. Even though the classification systems foremost strive to describe medium (instrumentation) and do this in an acceptable way, this must be seen in relation to how important genre is in order to fully describe a score and its importance for the users. Likewise, genre and genre categorization is an unavoidable part of music and sometimes even an integrated part of the elements medium and character. Thus, it is concluded that it is of utter importance to take into account the impact on and meaning for music that genre has when researching how scores are to be classified. This is a twy years master's thesis in Library and information science