Naming conventions for CD's of Classical Music

[Andy Leese]

I am sorry if this is a beginners question, I have searched the Internet
extensively but cannot find an answer to my question.

What is the correct order, in Classical music, to list a CD or information
regarding a CD. I have sorted through many Internet music stores to try and
decipher how they do it, but can't quite understand it. For example:

(is it?): Important muscian/singer/etc, Name of Choir & Orchestra,
Conductor
or does the Conductor come first? Is the Conductor considered less important
than the Choir or Orchestra?

For example, I have: Westminster Church Choir & Orchestra, with Conductor:
Kenneth Dowley.
I also have: Eberhard Kraus - Organ, Camerata Romana, Conductor: Eugen
Duvier
I also have: Salzburg Consort

I would be really grateful for a basic guide if someone could post a link or
if someone could offer some information.

Kind Thanks
Andy

[Peter T. Daniels]

It very much depends on the work(s) on the disk and its purpose.

For one or two long works by a single composer -- for instance, two
symphonies by Brahms, or three Brandenburg Concertos by Bach, then the
composer comes first.

Occasionally, record companies put out extended series of "all" of
some respected performer's recordings -- for instance RCA did it for
Caruso and for Arthur Rubenstein. Then it's up to the collector
whether it's important to keep the set together -- do you intend to
get all the items? -- or to keep, say, all your Beethoven piano
sonatas together.

For solo recitals (singer or instrumentalist with accompanist), often
several composers are represented, so naturally it goes under the
performer's name. Rarely would the accompanist be the featured player,
though there are very rare exceptions.

For chamber music, usually it's an established ensemble with a name --
the Juilliard Quartet, the Beaux Arts Trio -- but their albums usually
featuer a single composer's works, so again it's a matter of where you
want to put the emphasis.

Me, I keep all my one-composer disks in a single alphabetical order
(mixing together "classical" and "opera"), and they're followed by the
"recital" disks -- vocal solos, then duets etc., then choruses; then
instrumental albums, starting with solo (piano, organ, etc.), then
going up by size of ensemble, till we end up with miscellaneous disks
of orchestral music. (I don't have many of those because they don't
often feature complete works.)

[Peter T. Daniels]

> often feature complete works.)-

Oh -- about conductor vs. ensemble -- wouldn't you rather have all
your King's College Choir albums together, rather than the David
Willcocks ones at the end of the choral shelf and the Stephen Cleobury
ones at the beginning?

Are you a fan of the Chicago Symphony, or of Fritz Reiner vs. Georg
Solti vs. Daniel Barenboim vs. sundry guest conductors?