User:Hawke/Proposal/CSG-mod

Status: This page describes an active style guideline proposal and is not official.

Proposal number: RFC-347 Champion: Hawke Current status: RFC

The aim of this style guide is to define some kind of consistency for classical music in MusicBrainz.

Basic Guidelines

Release

• The Release Artist should be assigned to the composer. Do not enter the performer’s name.
• The Release Title should be the title of the release. Often this is the name of the work, or the name of the composer followed by a list of works contained in the release.

You may enter performance data (e.g. orchestra, conductor, soloist, and/or performance year) into the release’s disambiguation comment, as a means of identifying a specific release. Try to keep it reasonably short, and don’t forget to also add performance relationships where applicable.

Exceptions

Various Artists

If a release contains works by more than one composer, it may be changed to a Various Artists release.

Mixed recitals

In cases where a release features performances by one artist of works from several composers, that artist may be used as the Release Artist, with each Track Artist assigned to the appropriate composer.

Track

• The Track Title should contain the name of the work performed within, and any additional sub-parts that don’t qualify as separate Work Parts See also #Work
• The Track Artist should be assigned to the composer.
• Track numbers refer to the position on the release, which often is not the movement number. Movement numbers should be added to the track title.
• Use roman numerals for movement numbers.

Exceptions

Classical Covers

When classical works are arranged, remixed, or otherwise substantially modified by the primary performer, the performer may be entered as Track Artist. The original composer can be found via the Work linked to the track’s Recording

Work

In its simplest form, the work title should contain the title of the main work (symphony, etc.) followed by ':' and the name of the relevant part (movement, etc.). See below for further details.

Recording

• The recording title should be the same as the track title. If the same recording is released with different track titles, use the most common one.
• The recording artist should be similar to the disambiguation comment. Enter the main orchestra or other artist, plus any featured artists. Use the standard Artist Credits separators of comma and ampersand. List groups first, but keep soloists and conductors with their respective groups. Do not include performance roles. Example: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley, The Ladies of the Ambrosian Chorus & John McCarthy

Introduction to Works

This is a very basic introduction to how works should be titled. For more complete guidance, you may want to refer to the unofficial work in progress but reasonably complete proposal Work Titles in CSGv2.

Catalogue: number and opus

Always use "No. " and "Op. " Examples:

• Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67. Note the spaces after the period, and the use of comma (i.e. "No. 5", not "No.5" and "Op. 67", not "Op.67").
• Mazurka in B major, Op. 63 No. 1. Here the “No. 1” is part of the opus number. Note that there's no comma between them.

Here are two links that explain some subtleties of classical catalogues:Opus Numbers; Mozart work numbers

Chord: minor and major

Always use the expanded form and lowercase including a hyphen for German. Examples:

• Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 (English)
• Prélude No. 1 C-Dur, Op. 28: Agitato (German)

Keys

Always use uppercase for English notation "A, B, C, D, E, F, G". Use language-specific proper case for "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si" (used in French, Italian, and Spanish) and German Tonart. "in", "en" or "em" should be inserted according to release language. Examples:

• Trio in A minor, Op. 50 (English)
• Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp major, BWV 858 (English)
• Concerto No. 1 in Sol minore, Op. 8, RV 332 (Italian)
• Concerto No. 4 en La mineur (French)
• Prélude No. 2 a-Moll, Op. 28: Lento (German)
• Prélude No. 8 fis-Moll, Op. 28: Molto agitato (German)

Italian tempo markings

Since they are Italian they should follow Capitalization Standard Italian such that only the first letter of the phrase is titled. Example:

• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5 in D major, KV 175: II. Andante ma un poco adagio

Common names

Common works names may be omitted, but it's preferable to add them. They should be surrounded by double quotes:

• Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata”: II. Andante con moto (do not use 'Appassionata' or «Appassionata» or -Appassionata-)
• String Quartet No. 17 in B-flat major, KV 458 “Hunt”: II. Moderato
• Sinfonie e-Moll, Op. 95 “Aus der Neuen Welt”: II. Largo
• Cantata, BWV 17 “Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich”: Part II, V. Aria “Welch Übermaß der Güte”. Note that this also applies to individual movements.

Vocalists

Listing vocal parts (tenor, soprano, bass) is not mandatory. If included, they should be after the track name, but before the common name if present:

• Cantata, BWV 17 “Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich”: Part II, V. Aria (Tenor, Soprano) “Welch Übermaß der Güte”

Examples

Release

(disambiguation comments in italics)

• Complete String Quartets (Lindsay String Quartet)
• Concerto for Orchestra / Dance Suite / Concerto for Orchestra (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle): The titles of many classical releases are really just a list of works on the CD. Separate with slashes according to Multiple Title Style
• Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” (Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta, Radu Lupu): Multiple performers. Separate additional roles/performers with a comma.

More ambiguous examples:

• The Takacs Quartet Plays Dvorak (The Takacs Quartet): The title contains the performer but it is still part of the Release Title. This is preferred to just “Plays Dvorak…”
• Sibelius: Orchestral Works (Chicago Symphony Orchestra): The composer name is a part of the release title. In some cases the release name might be just 'Orchestral Works'. If in doubt follow what is on the cover.

Track Title

• Concerto for Orchestra: IV. Intermezzo Interrotto:In this case we just need the include the name of the work, movement number and name of the movement.
• The Lark Ascending: Tasmin Little performed only on this track of the release; an Advanced Relationship should be added.
• Cantata, BWV 17 “Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich”: Part II, V. Aria “Welch Übermaß der Güte”: Here the movement number is “Part II, V.” because BWV 17 is separated into parts above movements.

Work

• St. Paul's Suite for string orchestra, Op. 29 No. 2: Jig

Recording

(Artist Credits in italics)

• The Planets Suite, Op. 32: Neptune, the Mystic: Royal Philharmonic, Vernon Handley, The Ladies of the Ambrosian Chorus, John McCarthy