# Strategies for Filing



## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Classical music presents more challenges for organization of recorded media, since
a single album often holds more than one composer
often the performer, rather than the composer, is the subject of the album
performers can pop up (as soloists) across a variety of settings
many pieces are recorded more than once
sometimes compilation albums are based on the instrument used, rather than the performer or composer
composers have even been known to have multiple versions of a single piece

What are your strategies for dealing with this?


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

NoCoPilot said:


> Classical music presents more challenges for organization of recorded media, since
> a single album often holds more than one composer
> often the performer, rather than the composer, is the subject of the album
> performers can pop up (as soloists) across a variety of settings
> ...


For CDs only these are my strategies...

1) More than one composer on a disc - I organise by the piece I prefer or if there's more Schubert on a disc than Mendelssohn (for example) then it would be likely filed under Schubert. Tbh there's no easy way to do this.
2) The performer is the subject of the album - for example I have the Jacqueline Du Pre 3CD set. It's under the letter D for Du Pre. Simples.
3) Recordings based on the instrument - not sure if I have any CDs like this.

The others are things that I have rarely come across with CDs I own. For digital files it all gets a lot messier and confusing so I'm not even going there. Lol but I'm sure Absolutelybaching will comment on this.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

I log every work I have on excel. If it's an album with two different composers, then I have a column for shared but still log the two different works


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Judith said:


> I log every work I have on excel. If it's an album with two different composers, then I have a column for shared but still log the two different works


Wanna come over and database my collection?


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## GraemeG (Jun 30, 2009)

I file by-composer, then a section after Ysaye for by-artist. After that, another (smaller - 30cm or so) section for multi-artist, multi-composer.
So, a CD with mixed (dual) composers - by the major work. If it's two more-or-less even pieces (my CD of Brahms pianoQ3 and Schumann pianoQ), then I file with whoever's listed first on the spine. More than two composers (Naxos CD of 3 Swedish violin concertos!) - then I file by the performer's name. That only leaves the final 30cm for the anthologies.
And detail it in a spreadsheet, which I only did a few years ago when the collection burgeoned out over 500 and got up to the 1300-or so it is now.


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