Page titles
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 7:32 pm
As the existing Score submission guide/Manual of Style is well out-of-date, I've tried to come up with some new text that codifies the practices that we usually follow. A rough draft is given below, but there's probably much more that we need to think about, so comments are welcome.
=== Page Title ===
The page title should uniquely identify the work, and be as short as possible. It will usually take the form:
: Work Title, Catalogue Number
====Language====
Use the title of the work in the language in which it was first presented by the composer:
: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
: Symphonie fantastique
: Le nozze di Figaro
: Variationen über ein russisches Volkslied
The [http://authorities.loc.gov/ Library of Congress Authorities Catalog] or [http://www.hofmeister.rhul.ac.uk/2008/index.html Hofmeister database] can be helpful in establishing the original language of a work.
Exceptions:
* If the title is the name of a standard type of work (e.g. symphony, suite, string quartet, piano trio, nocturne), then English is preferred:
: ''Symphony No.6''
: ''Violin Concerto No.2''
: ''Concerto for 2 Pianos''
Leave out any spaces between "No." and the following number.
* If the original title is in a non-Latin alphabet (e.g. Russian or Chinese), or is well-established under an English title, then a better-known English translation or transliteration may be used:
: ''Pictures at an Exhibition''
: ''Swan Lake''
: ''The Bartered Bride''
: ''Khovanshchina''
: ''St. Matthew Passion''
* If the title of a collection of pieces starts with a number, then use numerals at the start:
: ''10 Lieder''
: ''12 Morceaux''
: ''6 Pieces for Two Pianos''
====Capitalization====
For English titles, capitalize the first word and all nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives:
: ''Variations on an Original Theme''
: ''Serenade for String Orchestra''
For German titles, capitalize the first word and all nouns:
: ''Grosse Konzertfantasie über spanische Weisen''
: ''Gesang der Geister über den Wassern''
For Italian, French, Spanish and Portugese, capitalize only the first word and all proper names:
: ''Le nozze di Figaro''
: ''Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune''
: ''El sombrero de tres picos''
: ''Saudades das selvas brasileiras''
In all other languages, capitalize the title as if it would be a sentence in that language.
Ignore any numerals at the start of the title (e.g. ''12 Morceaux'', not "12 morceaux")
====Opus/Catalogue Numbers====
Separate opus or catalogue numbers from the main part of the title with a comma and a space:
* ''Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut'', BWV 173
* ''Symphony No.6'', Op.74
* ''Le nozze di Figaro'', K.492
If a work has both an opus number and a catalogue number, look at pages for other works by the same composer to decide which should be used. Leave out any spaces between "Op." and the opus number. Spacing for catalogue prefixes can vary, so follow the established spacing used for works by the same composer.
For sub-divisions of opuses, use this format:
* ''Piano Sonata No.7'', Op.10 No.3 (''not'' "Op.10/3" or "Op.10, No.3")
====Instruments====
Only include the names of instruments in the title if they are needed to avoid confusion between similar types of works:
* ''Violin Sonata''
* ''Piano Sonata''
* ''Sonata for Horn and Violin''
* ''Piano Concerto No.1''
* ''Concerto for Flute and Harp''
* ''Piano Concerto for the Left Hand''
The names of the instruments should be in the same language as the rest of the title (which in practice will usually be English), and follow the same capitalization rules for that particular language.
====Keys====
Do not include key signatures in the title unless they are needed to uniquely identify indivdual works:
* ''Polonaise in A-flat major'' (Chopin, Frederic)
* ''Polonaise in B-flat major'' (Chopin, Frederic)
* ''Polonaise in B-flat minor'' (Chopin, Frederic)
* ''Polonaise in G minor'' (Chopin, Frederic)
The key signature should always be given in the English language after the word "in", followed by "major" or "minor" (which are always in lower-case). The use of a hyphen in "A-flat", "C-sharp", etc. is optional, but be aware that the <nowiki>{{flat}} and {{sharp}}</nowiki> templates do not work in page titles.
====Other Information====
If there is still potential for confusion between works with similar titles, then other information can be added as necessary:
* ''Romeo and Juliet'', duet (Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich)
* ''Romeo and Juliet'', overture-fantasia (Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich)
* ''Pieces de Clavecin'', Book 1 (Dandrieu, Jean-François)
* ''Pieces de Clavecin'', Book 2 (Dandrieu, Jean-François)