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MEI Files

encoding-music-mcp includes 46 carefully curated MEI files from three major collections.

Overview

All files are stored in the resources directory and are immediately accessible through the MCP server. No additional downloads or configuration required.

Collections

Bach Two-Part Inventions (15 files)

J.S. Bach's Two-Part Inventions (BWV 772-786) - pedagogical keyboard works demonstrating contrapuntal technique.

View Bach collection details →

Bartók Mikrokosmos (19 files)

Selected pieces from Béla Bartók's Mikrokosmos - progressive piano pieces exploring 20th-century musical techniques.

View Bartók collection details →

Morley Canzonets (12 files)

Thomas Morley's Canzonets from 1595 - Renaissance vocal music demonstrating English madrigal style.

View Morley collection details →

File Format

All files follow the MEI (Music Encoding Initiative) standard:

  • Format: XML-based music notation encoding
  • Extension: .mei
  • Encoding: UTF-8
  • Standard: MEI 4.0 or compatible

Quality and Provenance

All files include detailed metadata:

  • Composer information
  • Title and work information
  • MEI editors who created the encoding
  • Publication dates
  • Copyright/licensing information

Use the get_mei_metadata tool to view this information for any file.

Discovering Files

Use the list_available_mei_files tool to browse all available files:

{
  "bach_inventions": [15 files],
  "bartok_mikrokosmos": [19 files],
  "morley_canzonets": [12 files],
  "all_files": [46 files total]
}

Using Files

All tools accept filenames as parameters:

# Example: Analyze a Bach invention
analyze_key("Bach_BWV_0772.mei")

# Example: Get melodic intervals from Bartók
get_melodic_intervals("Bartok_Mikrokosmos_022.mei")

# Example: Extract notes from Morley
get_notes("Morley_1595_01_Go_ye_my_canzonettes.mei")

File Statistics

Collection Files Period Style
Bach 15 Baroque (1720s) Contrapuntal, Two-voice
Bartók 19 20th century (1926-1939) Progressive, Pedagogical
Morley 12 Renaissance (1595) Vocal, Polyphonic

Adding Your Own Files

Currently, encoding-music-mcp works only with the built-in collection. Future versions may support:

  • Custom file paths
  • User-provided MEI files
  • URL-based file access

License Information

Each file may have different licensing terms. Use get_mei_metadata to check copyright and availability information for specific files.