Style/Classical/Release Title

From MusicBrainz Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
Status: This is an official style guideline.

Sources

For releases of physical media, the Release Title will be sourced from the front cover. When a physical cover is not available, find the title at a reliable online source. For digital media, use the label's page or other official source. Avoid using information from resellers.

Release Title

The Release title should not contain performers unless they are clearly part of the title as in "Bernstein Conducts Stravinsky." The Release title should not contain composers except for titled releases containing their names as above, or for multi-composer releases as outlined below.

Titled releases

No difference from other Release Titles in MusicBrainz.

Single work releases

Use the title as printed and apply correct capitalisation and punctuation as stated in the language guidelines. Note that quotes in English should be in sentence style.

A list of works

Use the works as credited and separate them with a slash.

Title and a list of works

If a release contains both a title and a list of works it is recommended that only the title is used.

A list of works by different composers

For every work, add the composer(s) as credited. Separate the composer(s) from the work with a colon.

If the title has several works by the same composer(s) in a row, add the composer(s) to the first one only.

Multi-language titles

The release title and tracklist should match, if possible.

  • Don't add your own translation unless you are entering a pseudo-release.

A list of composers

In rare cases there are no credited works, only composers. Separate composers with a slash.

Release Group Title

Classical releases are often multilingual, and the standard guidelines for selecting a Release Group title in MusicBrainz may not work. See if one language is highlighted: bold typeface, bigger letters or similar.

If the title differs between different releases in the same release group, try to find the most used version. If that fails, use the earliest release.

Examples

Italian Opera Arias
The 5 Cello Sonatas
String Quartets
The Last Night of the Proms
Christmas With Robert Shaw
Symphony no. 14, op. 135
Carmen
When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd
Saint-Saëns' Sonata and Other French Music
Sinfonietta Giocosa / Toccata e Due Canzoni / Sinfonietta La Jolla
Magnificat, BWV 243 / Cantata "Ich habe genug", BWV 82
Concertos pour 1 & 2 violons / Concerto pour violon & hautbois
Bernstein Conducts Stravinsky
The Complete Organ Music, Volume 7
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis / Britten: Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge / Elgar: Introduction and Allegro
Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano / Debussy: Sonata for Violin and Piano / Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp / Ravel: Introduction and Allegro
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition / Bach-Busoni: Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C / Glinka-Balakirev: The Lark
Violinkonzert
Saint-Saëns / Ravel / Martin

Style
Overview
Title Style
Entities
Relationships
Classical
Special Cases/Misc.
Languages