"Music in the past and present" on the web
The German-language music encyclopaedia "Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart" (MGG), edited by Zurich musicologist Laurenz Lütteken, is now available as a dynamic online database under the title "MGG Online". For the time being, however, this is primarily for institutional users.
Lütteken works with an international advisory board of distinguished musicologists, the MGG editorial team and authors from around the world to continually update and add content. "MGG Online" was founded, financed and implemented by the publishers Bärenreiter (Kassel), J.B. Metzler (Stuttgart) and Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale (RILM, New York).
The print edition of the MGG (2nd edition) consists of more than 18,000 articles written by 3,500 authors from 55 countries. "MGG Online" contains all this content in a constantly updated and growing database with revised data, new information and revised articles. New entries will be added regularly from 2017. All article versions will remain permanently accessible and marked as such. Right from the start, users will find around 200 updated or newly written articles.
"MGG Online" uses a platform developed by RILM that makes the content accessible using state-of-the-art search and browser functions. The platform is continuously being expanded with new functions and search options.
"MGG Online" is initially intended for institutional users, especially libraries, who negotiate the price for use individually. However, private users have the option of using the database at the lowest institutional price, which is currently USD 450 per year plus VAT.
