A-R Online Music Anthology: Commentaries

Use Our Commentaries in Your Music History and Theory Course Packs

The A-R Music Anthology includes commentaries, with more than 140 currently available that cover around 200 core works. The commentaries are, on average, three to four pages in length (1200 to 1600 words) and available both individually and also appended to the pieces they cover. The structured commentaries have the following format:

Identify the pieces by composer and style
Provide historical context
Discuss the structure and other features
Explain the work's significance
Texts and Translations (for texted works)

To find the commentaries in ARMA, use our Advanced Search to get a current list of available commentaries, as shown in this screenshot:

Example of the ARMA Online Advanced Search screen

For a list of commentaries on works by a specific composer, use the word "commentary" with other criteria (composer's name, title of a work, genre, etc.). The commentaries are readily available to you and your students along with ARMA's scores and peer-reviewed articles. You can add commentaries individually to your courses by selecting them when you use your instructor login to make customized courses. Additional commentaries are in preparation and will be available when they are complete. (You can use the New Content page to find the most recent commentaries and other new content in ARMA.)

Use our site to learn more about the A-R Online Music Anthology. Registered instructors can build as many courses as they need and customize them! Adopt the Anthology today or contact us about a site license.