Tagging classical music

[bbrip]

A full relational database for tagging purposes is far too complex. As has been pointed out above, you can achieve quasi-relational results by being totally accurate - yes even pedantic - about the tags you do use. Only then all of Johann Sebastian Bach's works show up in one place. They wont of you have 5 different spellings of Bach in your tags.

The rule I follow here is simple: less is more. You tend to loose accuracy if you try to maintain too many different tags.

Examples:
I don't need a tag "Sub-Genre" my Genre entries for classical music consist of about 50 enties, so I have my differentiation already at this level.

I don't need a tag "Instrument". Whats the point of putting "Piano" or "Organ" in the instrument tag when I have already defined a genre "Piano Concertos" or "Piano Sonatas" or "Organ Music" etc... Those instruments that may not have its own dedicated Genre, I enter into my multitagged Genre. So if I want to listen to a bassoon concerto (where there arent hundreds to support a dedicated Genre...), "Bassoon" will make it into the genre tag.

I also decided against a "Composition" tag as I have defined composition at album level. Ie if a CD contains Brahms Piano Cto 1 and the Händel Variations, that CD will be tagged as two Albums (ie Compositions.). That way I get the Piano Concerto listed alongside my other recordings if the concerto and the Händel-Variations along with my other recordings of this oeuvre.
The only way a keep an Album intact is of they are live-recordings of a piano recital etc...

I do use a Soloist tag but as has been said I would not necessary enter all 12 soloists of some complex opera, but probably just the key 5 or 6 roles.

Works all great for a pretty large collection at reasonable tag maintenance effort and instant retrievability.

I never ever use folder view and haven't done so for years. If you tag properly there simply is no use for it.

bbrip