Prices of Music Monographs and Scores as Reflected in Notes, 2004–2009

All numbers presented here are based on data drawn from this journal's "Books Recently Published" and "Music Received" columns. Books and scores reviewed in Notes, imprints before 2007, and choral octavos are not included in the 2009 figures. No distinction is made between paperback and hardback editions, or between volumes issued with accompanying materials (CDs, CD-ROMs, etc.) and those without. If prices are available for both paperback and hardback editions, the price of the hardback edition has been used. Likewise, if a book is available in hardcopy and as an electronic text, the price of the hardcopy has been used. Book and score counts are based on the number of titles rather than the number of volumes.

Price trends for books are given as a whole and also by language: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Out of 1,243 books from the "Books Recently Published" columns in 2009, 1,076 (87 percent) have been used in calculating this year's price trends. Not included in the 2009 figures are 120 books with imprints before 2007, and forty-five books without available prices. Broken down by language, the total number of books included in this year's figures is: English, 782 of 873 (90 percent); French, 71 of 79 (90 percent); German, 121 of 140 (86 percent); Italian, 32 of 40 (80 percent); and Spanish, 70 of 111 (63 percent).

Data for scores as a whole is given first, followed by six score categories. Categories of scores used in "Music Received" do not always correspond directly with categories in this column. In those cases, this compiler has placed the score in the most appropriate or closely related category. "Music Received" columns for 2009 listed 433 scores. Of the 433 scores, 353 (82 percent), met the criterion of having an imprint date of 2007 or later and were not choral octavos. Prices were available for all scores in this survey.

All prices are reported in U.S. dollars and reflect retail prices; they do not reflect discounts or special sale pricing. When given, prices listed in the "Music Received" columns were used in compiling the data. Prices not given in Notes were obtained from a number of online sources including, but not limited to: Amazon.com and its various international sites (www.amazon.com); Casalini Libri (www.casalini.it); Otto Harrassowitz (www.harrassowitz.de); Theodore Front Musical Literature (www.tfront.com); and individual publishers' sites. Prices were converted to U.S. dollars on 14 June 2010 using the Universal Currency Converter (http://www.xe.com/ucc).

Charts for each category, other than "Monograph Prices by Language," include the following data: the number of items in the category (Items); the total price of the items (Total); and the arithmetic mean of the total (Mean).¹ Each table is accompanied by a line graph that plots trends in the mean price over the years 2004 through 2009. The y-axis (vertical axis) of each graph is scaled in U.S. dollars and the relevant years are represented on the x-axis (horizontal axis).

Although every effort was made to collect and report data accurately, errors and inconsistencies may exist; please use the data with this in mind. This column is intended to show general trends in pricing of music materials and should be used only as a guide to collection-development planning.

The definitions for the categories are:

Monographs: Books that are typically classified in the Library of Con gress classification schedule at ML or MT. All books with an imprint date of 2007, or later, whether issued as installments in a publisher's continuation under a distinctive series title or issued individually, are included.

Historical and monumental editions: Critical editions of scores usually representing specific ethnic, national, geographical or chronological repertories, or the compositions of a particular individual. These scores are typically classified in the Library of Congress classification schedule at M2, M3, and M3.1. Historical and monumental editions usually appear with critical apparatus, and include facsimile editions not intended primarily for performance. Titles issued with parts or an accompanying volume...