History:Classical Style Guide: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 00:51, 5 February 2006

The aim of this style guide is to impose some kind of order on the data to achieve consistency across style of entries so to have clean data for an eventually text sensitive tagging (and to facilitate the work of scripts that automatically set AdvancedRelationships between Album and Performers).

If you have any questions look here:

Simple Example

  • Artist: * Ludwig van Beethoven Album title: * Symphony No. 9 in D minor (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra feat. conductor: Herbert von Karajan) Track titles: * Symphony No. 9 in D minor: I. Allegro ma non troppo
    * Symphony No. 9 in D minor: II. Molto vivace

Basic Guidelines

  • The Artist should contain just the composer not the performer
  • The Album Title should include the title of the release followed by the major performer (i.e. the name of orchestra or quartet) inside parenthesis
  • The Track Title should contain the overall work (name of the symphony etc.) followed by ':' and then the actual name of that movement.
  • Make the album a various artist release if more than one composer is featured on the same album.

It is strong requested to state in Album Title (or by AR) at least the most basic performer data as the orchestra, the conductor, the soloist as it is often the only way to identify a release.

More Detailed Examples

Artist

This should be the composer's name in full. Do not use the performer as the artist.

Examples:

  • Igor Stravinsky
  • Sort name: Stravinsky, Igor
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Sort name: Bach, Johann Sebastian

Album Title

Should include the title of the release followed by the major performer (i.e. the name of orchestra or quartet) inside parentheses.

When possible add perfomers as 'feat. conductor: Joe Bloggs' (or cello, soprano, violin, etc) at the end of the album title. This is handy for orchestra works as it helps disinguish multiple releases. Do not use what the perfomer is ("pianist") but note instrument ("piano").

Examples:

  • Concerto for Orchestra / Dance Suite / Concerto for Orchestra (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra feat. conductor: Sir Simon Rattle)
    • The title of many classical albums are really just a list of works on the CD. Separate with slashes to match the MultipleTitleStyle
  • Complete String Quartets (Lindsay String Quartet) (disc 1)
    • Multiple disc set. Performer in brackets followed by disc number.
  • Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" (Israel Philharmonic Orchestra feat. conductor: Zubin Mehta, piano: Radu Lupu)
    • Multiple performer: comma is used to separate them.

More ambiguous examples:

  • The Takacs Quartet Plays Dvorak (The Takacs Quartet)
    • The title also contains the performer but it is still part of the CD's title. This is better than using the title 'Plays Dvorak...'
  • Sibelius: Orchestral Works (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
    • The title repeats the composer's name here but it is still part of the CD's title. In some cases the album name might be just 'Orchestral Works'. If in doubt follow what is on the sleeve.

Track Title

Should have the overall work (name of the symphony etc.) followed by the name of the movement/section

Use roman numerals for the movement number. If that track has a soloist then add it like this... (feat. violin: Tamsin Little). If all songs on the album feature a performer/group/conductor, then this information should feature in the Album Title only, and not in every track on that album.

Examples:

  • Concerto for Orchestra: IV. Intermezzo Interrotto
    • The orchestra/performer would be in the album title in this case so we just need the name of the work, movement number and name of the movement.
  • The Lark Ascending (feat. violin: Tasmin Little)
    • Tasmin Little isn't the soloist for other tracks on the album so should go in the relevant track title.

When to Use 'Various Artists'

Various artists for classical are used when works by several composers are included on one release NOT when several performers play works by one composer. Works by Brahms and Liszt on the same CD would be a good example of a various artists release.

Track Numbers

Track numbers refer to the position on the CD not the movement number. Movement numbers go in the track title.

Other Style Guidelines

  • Catalogue: number and opus
    • Always use "No. " and "Op. " Example:
      • 'Symphony No. 5 in C minor Op. 67'. Note the spaces and punctuation.
  • Chord: minor and major
    • Always use the expanded form and lowercase. Example:
      • 'Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 47'
  • Keys
    • Always use uppercase for english notation "A, B, C, D, E, F, G" and propercase for italian (and french and spanish) "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si". Attribute "in", "en" or "em" is to be inserted accordingly to release language when omitted. Examples:
      • 'Trio in A minor Op. 50;'
      • 'Concerto No. 1 in Sol minore Op. 8, RV 332'
      • 'Concerto No. 4 en La mineur'
  • Italian tempo markings
    • Since they are italian they should follow CapitalizationStandardItalian so only the first letter has to be uppercase. Example:
      • 'Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5 in D major KV 175: II. Andante ma un poco adagio'.

References

If you want to help edit some classical entries here is the place to start: ClassicalEntriesThatNeedEditing

This page was initially based on a rough consensus formed on a thread in the mb-users mailing list.