The author examines a choice of the conceptualisations of the ‘musical work’
within the domain of music in the context of bibliographical control and
information retrieval. The study uses the principles of domain analysis proposed
by Hjorland (Hjorland 2002) as a framework. The scope is wide and does not
claim to be comprehensive. The philosophical and performance related
conceptualisations of the musical work are examined with the method of
discourse analysis of major writings on the topic. Each analysis is followed by
an assessment of its relevance in the context of information organisation and
user’s tasks. The phenomenological approach to the mode of being of musical
work is examined with its particular applicability to modelling of the
bibliographical entities in the domain of music. This is followed by further
exploration of the bibliographical control of music and recent developments in
FRBR/FRAD framework. The activity of editing music is presented in the
context of its relevance to the practice of cataloguing music resources. In the
conclusion the author points to the similarities of the activities of editors and
information professionals in the context of critically informed choices they need
to make when preparing either the text for the purpose of study or performance,
or the catalogue record for the purpose of information retrieval. The shift in
information organisation towards linked resources and the entities formulated as
points of reference (including the main subject of this study – the ‘work’) beyond
the library systems into the related resources on the world wide web is
highlighted and the possibilities for further research in the context of the ‘work’
are suggested.