What is a Uniform Title? In library terminology, a Uniform Title brings like-items together in the catalog and on the shelf. In music, this is especially important as the same musical score or recording can have very different titles. For example, look at the following titles from the library catalog for the same Tchaikovsky symphony:
How would you find all forms of the Tchaikovsky 6th symphony when the titles are so different? By use of the Uniform Title. The Uniform Title is included in such works so the user can find all versions of that work. The titles above represent what is printed on either the score or recording which can vary depending on where it is published. Now look at the same entries with the Uniform Title included:
Each individual title has the same Uniform Title which identifies each entry as being the same work. In addition, the Uniform Title in the library catalog is a clickable link which will bring you to all of the versions of that work that the library owns.
Uniform Titles are used for musical forms (concerto, symphony, etc.), genres (mazurka, ballade, fantasia, etc.), and chamber music (trio, sextet, etc.). They are also used for distinctive titles such as a composition titled by the composer: Messiah, Galántai táncok (Dances of Galanta), etc. The distinctive title used in a Uniform Title is always given in the original language.
They are also used for collective titles. In this case, the Uniform Title would identify the form of the music in this way:
In this case, the word Selections is added as a qualifier to denote that this is only part of the composer's chamber music output; only that for piano and strings.
Uniform titles are used for most musical scores and recordings. Most music books have unique titles and therefore have no need of the uniform title.