The Subject Encyclopedia
The Subject Encyclopedia is unique in its conception. It comprises 9 volumes (plus one index volume) containing more than 1,500 entries with detailed information on music aesthetics and theory, epochs and genres, church music and pop music, instruments and manuscripts as well as cities and countries. Due to the extensive nature of the entries with their frequent subdivisions, the MGG conforms truly to the meaning of the word encyclopedia .
Apart from the more standard entries the Subject Encyclopedia also includes comprehensive articles on institutions (music libraries, the music library lending industry), on music iconographical subjects, on correlated relationships to the other arts (for example colour-tone relationships, the reception towards jazz, the encyclopedia entry music, etc).
Numerous specialists on a worldwide basis have made this overall picture possible. Many illustrations (mostly in colour), music examples, comprehensive literature lists and cross references supplement the detailed texts.
The Biographical Encyclopedia
The Biographical Encyclopedia comprising 17 volumes (plus one index volume) contains more than 18.000 entries, including over 9.000 composers, more than 2,000 singers and instrumentalists, and more than 1.000 on theorists. Many of these entries are on non-western composers, performers and writers, and more than 500 are on figures from Jazz and popular music. There are also over 500 entries on philosophers and literary figures, not to mention more than 5.000 on instrument makers, publishers, musicologists, writers, librettists and visual artists. Many appear for the first time in a work of reference.
The Biographical Encyclopedia is the work of more than 2.000 scholars from 55 countries across the globe. All are internationally recognized authorities in their field.
Equally unique are the discussions of subjects touching on music, including history, art, literature, philosophy, law and the natural sciences.