Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/840

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iv
PREFACE.

ways (as Escobedo and Scobedo), cross-references are given in the Index, but the entries will be found under the most usual form of the name, subject, of course, to the above-mentioned condition of securing correspondence of headings in the Index with headings of articles. And this last observation equally applies to names with prefixes (as De Muris or Muris) and to double names (as Bourgault-Ducoudray).

3. With respect to the various Forms of music, it would be impossible to refer to all the composers who have employed them, without uselessly swelling the bulk of the Index. For instance, Beethoven wrote an Oratorio, but he made no special mark on the Oratorio form of music, and the article on Beethoven contains nothing of interest in regard to that form. Thus no good purpose would be served by a reference to Beethoven under the heading of Oratorio; but the names of Animuccia and Mendelssohn will be found under that heading, because the former wrote the first Oratorio, and in the article on the latter this form is instructively noticed. In short, as to Forms of music, references are only given in the Index to such articles as contain matter of interest respecting them.

4. It is hoped that the catalogue of articles contributed by the various writers will be of service.

To these explanatory remarks the undersigned would only add that she, is very sensible of the imperfections of the Index, but ventures to hope that it may be of some use in rendering the valuable information contained in the Dictionary more readily and fully accessible to students of music.

June, 1890.