Re: [ARSCLIST] Cataloging sound recordings

[Karl Miller <lyaa071@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 5 May 2005, Matt Snyder wrote:

> Whether the repository in question has a particular item, and, via the
> rules of descriptive cataloging, what that item says about itself. If the
> record sleeve or cd insert doesn't say who was conducting the Beethoven
> piano concerto, or was on drums for this Henry Mancini recording session,
> or whatever other particular information you're looking for, the MARC
> record will not contain it. But, if such information is available to
> someone doing discographical research, that data will go into a
> discography. Catalogs contain info about sound containers, and can have no
> information other than what is on those containers.

If one is limited to the information on a container, how can one assign a
subject heading? I am not suggesting that subject headings should be
required, but they are generally part of the process.

Based upon what you have written...is the work done by the Institute for
Jazz Studies a catalog, or a discography? How should one be able to access
that information?

As for the side players in a Mancini recording session...rarely do I find
those musicians listed in a MARC record, even if they are listed on the
container. Should all of that information be included? What about a group
that usually is identified as a corporate entry...say the Juilliard String
Quartet. Their membership has changed over the years. Does one need to
list the individual players, if that information is included on the
container.

Then, as to taking the information from the container...

Yesterday I was copy cataloging some album by a pop singer...perhaps Rita
Coolidge??? The OCLC MARC record did not list any of the names of the
supporting musicians...all listed on the container. I glanced down and saw
the name...John Sebastian, harmonica. I was surprised to see his name,
since I knew him from his recordings of classical music...mostly
arrangements. I thought to myself, this was quite something to think that
he might have been doing that sort of studio work. When it came time to
check the authority file, I found another John Sebastian. I was then off
on a 30 minute search to find out what was going on. At allmusic I found
out that the son of the John Sebastian I knew, was also named John
Sebastian (not listed as junior) and that this son also played the
harmonica and was relatively well known in popular music circles.

While the name came from the container, the identity, at least for me, did
not.

My question is...should descriptive cataloging indeed be limited to the
information on the container? If so, what about a container that says a
musician's music is in a style called fusion. There is no LC subject
heading for fusion (music). Should one limit the use of
subject headings to the designation assigned on the container.

And then there is my favorite...XXXX's music combines classical, jazz,
rock and world music to produce a unique style...  Which to my ears often
ends up meaning, "New Age."

As a PS to this...yesterday, while talking about some of these notions
with one of my former students, we touched upon the MARC format and I
raised the question, what comes next. He replied,"its here already. It's
called HTML and it's free and relatively easy to use."

Thoughts?

Karl