View source for User:RobertKaye/Work Types

Pete Marsh from the BBC has compiled this table of proposed work types from the Orpheus database of classical music. These types represent the most common types of works that are associated with classical music. Pop music should use the type ''None'' since these types do not really apply.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive; it attempts to capture the most common work types as seen on the BBC's Orpheus classical music catalog. We are likely going to use this list of Work Types to launch NGS and add new types as the community needs them.


{|
!Form
!Description
!Release/track example
!Release/track example 2
!Citation 1
|-
|None
|Used for popular music that does not have a defined type
|
|
|
|-
|Sonata
|General term used to describe small scale instrumental works, initially in baroque music.
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/f1435b49-4b5f-4168-89db-589cbcefdcab.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/d9538571-5eae-4b5d-be11-8cfc43d9d949.html]
|
|-
|Concerto
|Instrumental work usually in three or more movements for instrumental soloist plus orchestra
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/01f2ae79-c6fe-45cf-be73-470283825a6a.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/9ed25004-5b85-4a65-bf76-bc3f997e7c74.html]
|
|-
|Suite
|Set of instrumental/orchestral pieces which may be extracted from another work or be entirely original.
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/e7d69e46-8253-459d-8278-70fc229eafd0.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/8e6e19c1-7ae1-499c-a28c-f22708a7c65f.html]
|
|-
|Motet
|Choral works - popular in renaissance and baroque periods. usually unaccompanied.
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/62e7ed6b-3c30-4a19-a3d5-453942adb0ca.html]
|
|
|-
|Symphony
|Extended composition, usually for orchestra
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/279359ac-e4f9-4208-9dec-4ad4b3d9f00e.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/59e3a66e-1d83-4561-a9f5-6edec4c9959a.html]
|
|-
|Opera
|Dramatised work for singers and orchestra
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/725c660c-8439-480f-a565-11db58148b91.html]
|
|
|-
|Quartet
|Chamber music for four players (usually strings)
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/47dc0fec-1f51-4db1-91b5-b8296c9b27cc.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/0c2ad0a6-18f9-4d5e-a9c1-c116143b2265.html]
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartet]
|-
|Cantata
|Choral work with more than one movement - usually orchestral accompaniment.
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/b23ac770-cc2e-463b-84cd-5f0edb7a237e.html]
|
|
|-
|Madrigal
|Secular vocal composition from renaissance/baroque period
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/9cb8e6a7-5538-4f96-8097-90eb8581dcd9.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/1f92998d-40ed-4138-9149-78a9791dc30d.html]
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrigal_(music)]
|-
|Overture
|Instrumental piece that precedes an opera or symphonic poem
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/5ffbc729-f7b6-4faf-b32c-8be1c6ac71d7.html]
|
|
|-
|Song-cycle
|Form popularised by Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann to mean a series of related songs (usually with lyrics by the same poet).
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/f04d91aa-5068-4cce-809e-ab34cb6017da.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/3cbdad01-de22-471c-9ea2-ad85bd793fed.html]
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_cycle]
|
|-
|Mass
|Choral piece (with or without accompaniment) using the text of the liturgy.
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/f60efe3e-a6e6-4324-b6dd-5aa4b3b88569.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/fc1f62c0-5218-444d-b266-31bb25929c99.html]
|
|-
|Ballet
|
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/09eb27bc-79ab-49ee-8ef1-e060c7b0089d.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/025e5162-c18f-4d90-9bdb-7f1e06f2a648.html]
|
|-
|Aria
|Generally associated with opera, though some concert (ie stand-alone) arias have been written by geezers like Beethoven
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/15e5a505-82ef-41d6-a718-00ad34effe8a.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/0a936e16-3cf6-4f06-b843-617c6b8167ad.html]
|
|-
|Oratorio
|Dramatic musical piece with choir, soloists and orchestra - usually with religious subject matter.
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release-group/b5f665d8-18d9-30df-b479-f59daab01b77.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/052e3a44-da04-4599-a1bd-92338d20568b.html]
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oratorio]
|-
|Partita
|Instrumental piece composed of a series of variations. essentially a synonym for a suite.
|[http://musicbrainz.org/release/dbb44fdb-33cf-46d5-8786-3198ab25b9ed.html]
|[http://musicbrainz.org/track/602bce36-25e1-4404-9800-0edd4308f5fb.html]
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partita]
|}