[mb-style] Should we change Classical Rules?

[David Gibson]

On Sun, Oct 01, 2006 at 09:33:36AM +0200, Frederic Da Vitoria wrote:
> Hello
> 
> About edit 5674932
> 
> caillon says that since ARs now can give the composer, it makes sense to put
> this release under Hilary Hahn. Indeed, in many cd stores, Various Artists
> classical releases are sorted by performer, and I am not sure some stores
> wouldn't put this release at Hilary Hahn. So two questions:
> 
> 1 - Should this release (and releases where the title puts a strong accent
> on the performer) be stored under the performer?
> 
> 2 - Should specifically VA releases where the title puts a strong accent on
> the performer be stored under the performer?
> 
> I'd say no for the first question, but yes for the second.

I would concur with your "no" on the first.  I think it would be very
irritating to have only some all-Bach (or whoever) releases filed
under "Bach", and some filed under the performer.  (I have submitted
edit http://musicbrainz.org/show/edit/?editid=5686899 on this basis).

I am less convinced on the second.  There are extreme cases here, such
as
http://musicbrainz.org/release/ffe54355-eaa6-4bf2-ae26-52ff652a4b03.html
which really do seem to make sense filed under performer:  there are
very small bits by many composers (including several by those great
masters "Trad." and "Anon.").  There are also discs with performances
that aren't "straight" but include additional composition or
arrangement work by the performer, these also would seem to make sense
under the performer as release artist.
e.g. http://musicbrainz.org/release/0212b044-3497-426e-9afd-52bc5e76bbae.html

On the other hand, there are other multiple-composer, single-performer
releases where the performers get similar or somewhat more prominent
billing which don't really make sense under the performer.
e.g. http://musicbrainz.org/release/0736d1a9-d49d-49c5-bd9b-9ccbe9fc296e.html
or http://musicbrainz.org/release/29bec347-00f6-405c-978e-bd4d65f1b89c.html

(I've added AmazonASINs for all the examples above, so you can see the
cover art).

-- 
David Gibson			| I'll have my music baroque, and my code
david AT gibson.dropbear.id.au	| minimalist, thank you.  NOT _the_ _other_
				| _way_ _around_!
http://www.ozlabs.org/~dgibson