[mb-style] Setting Classical Release Artists to Performers

[Aaron Cooper]

On 12-Feb-08, at 11:47 AM, Frederic Da Vitoria wrote:
> On Feb 6, 2008 10:18 PM, Leiv Hellebo <leiv.hellebo at gmail.com> wrote:
> Aaron Cooper wrote:
> > We currently move classical
> > releases to the performer when they perform works by multiple
> > composers--I just want to extend this so we can move releases to
> > performers when they perform on all tracks (making them the primary
> > performer) regardless of whether the tracks are attributed to 1 or
> > multiple composers.  I don't see any difference in these
> > releases--neither was actually released by the composer.
> >
>
> Ok again :)
>
> One good thing is that the MoveReleaseEdit has this checkbox for  
> leaving
> the current artist as track artist. This should make it easy to move
> lots of releases fast. (Though if the composer is not the release
> artist, I don't really see s/he's the track artist either)
>
> I am not sure it will be so easy. If you use the MoveReleaseEdit in  
> it's current state, you will change
>
>   "Piano Concertos No. 2 & 3 (Berlin Philharmoniker feat. Daniel  
> Barenboim)" (ReleaseArtist=Beethoven)
>
> to
>
>   "Piano Concertos No. 2 & 3 (Berlin Philharmoniker feat. Daniel  
> Barenboim)" (ReleaseArtist=Barenboim)
>
> The composer would disappear from the release level! This is  
> certainly something I would vote against (assuming I took the time  
> to vote again). So you'd have to change the release title too to  
> something like:
>
>   "Beethoven: Piano Concertos No. 2 & 3 (Berlin Philharmoniker feat.  
> Daniel Barenboim)" (ReleaseArtist=Barenboim)
>
> Not so easy. Now, putting Barenboim twice (as Release Artist and in  
> the release title) would be probably deemed overkill, thus giving
>
>   "Beethoven: Piano Concertos No. 2 & 3 (Berlin  
> Philharmoniker)" (ReleaseArtist=Barenboim)
>
> (I am not sure what you would want to do with the orchestra) Anyhow,  
> this is definitely not trivial.

Personally, I'd rather get rid of all performer info from the release  
titles.  We have ARs to show this information and for all of us who  
have MBIDs in our files already, its no big deal to find our albums.   
For people finding new releases, they just have to determine the CD's  
primary performer by following our easy "5-Step Program" and go there  
to find it.  A performer can only record so many albums in their  
career so it will still be easier than sorting through the list of  
every recording done by all performers of a single composer's works.

As for putting the composer name in the release title...  That's  
something we could consider.  I know many CDs have the composer's name  
written with the work titles.

  * Daniel Barenboim - "Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 2, 3"

is more concise than

  * Ludwig van Beethoven - "Piano Concertos Nos. 2, 3 (Berliner  
Philharmoniker feat. conductor: Herbert von Karajan, piano: Daniel  
Barenboim)"

CDs released by a performer will often feature two major works by  
different composers (e.g., a concerto by Beethoven and a sonata by  
Mozart).  In that case, we could set the RA to the pianist and set the  
release title to "Beethoven: Concerto for Piano No. 1 / Mozart: Sonata  
for Piano No. 3".  I don't see a problem with that.  It's how we do it  
now anyways.  CDs like this also are more likely to have a "real"  
album titles like "Midnight Piano".

-Aaron