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[Dennis in FL]

This may already be in MC....but I can't find it.

It would make life easier if I could group classical movements together as a shortcut to the symphony or concerto in a listing or playlist.   

So "Beethoven - Symphony No. 8" would contain the four movements of the symphony.

UPDATE:  I found it.  It is called STACKS !!!!!  So cool !!

[JimH]

Playlists would work.

Also "Linked Tracks".
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=90543.0
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Library_Tools#Track_Linking_Tools

[Dennis in FL]

Stacks did what I wanted...except it put the third movement at the top instead of the track order.   I tried Autostack and it froze the files --- seemingly doing nothing.   When I quit MC and returned, the movements were in a stack now but still frozen.   I tried Unstack and nothing happened.

[DJLegba]

There is a field named "Grouping" that some downloads use. Before I discovered this I created a custom field named "Work". Whatever method you use, you'll need to spend a little time updating the tags, but it will be well worth it.

[BigSpider]

I use Link tracks for all of my classical stuff, works a treat. Also where you have a box set in which they have placed one movement on a different disc you can just select the relevant files and link them to get them to play as a single unit.

[Dennis in FL]

Doggone it

I have "stacked" movements in several symphonies.   Every time, the default "top" movement was the last and not the first track.    So I took the extra step of selecting the first track and designating it as "top"

There was a stack icon on the resulting compressed stack and all was well.

Then, out of curiosity, I selected all three movements in a symphony and chose stack and then tried AutoStack Name, artist, etc

That was a mistake.   Actually...nothing happened, but all was frozen.   I had to exit and restart MC.   

Now, when I choose "stack" as above - it seems like nothing happens.   But now I have to exit MC and restart...and it turns out it did indeed create a stack.   

It seems "Autostack" is buggy and is interfering with the proper operation of "stack"


I will look for that group tag mentioned above - but I think it is something else

[Dennis in FL]

There is a field named "Grouping" that some downloads use. Before I discovered this I created a custom field named "Work".

What do you put in the "Grouping" tag - I just selected three movements in a concerto and put a name in grouping but it didn't seem to do anything

[DJLegba]

What do you put in the "Grouping" tag - I just selected three movements in a concerto and put a name in grouping but it didn't seem to do anything

You can use it to create or customize a view. I set up a view named "Composer/Work", with categories Composer, Genre, Work, and Album. This lets me drill down very quickly to find all performances of a particular string quartet, for example, or all symphonies by a particular composer, or all of Bach's cantatas.

[Dawgincontrol]

If I get what you are trying to do.

Right click Playlists in the tree.  Select "Add Playlist Group"

Name It "Classical Movements"

Now make and name individual playlists of the movements and drag and move them to this header. 

You can either "Link Tracks" so they won't inadvertently get shuffled or lock the playlist or both.

You can make as many Headers and sub headers as you like.

[Dennis in FL]

Yep.  Thanks.   The trouble is, I have too many classical albums to make playlists.   Most albums have at least two symphonies or concertos with 3 or 4 movements each.   Now, I'd like to just go to the files and combine say three movements into one title.

Like

    Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 - Van Cliburn

So I can just click it and play the three movements in the correct order.

[Listener]

You didn't say which user interface you use to browse and select music in MC.

If you are using Standard mode, theater mode, Panel or Webremote, you can define a view for classical music that define tags that will be used to select music and the oter in which they are played.

On my office PC, I use a panes view for Classical Music.  That is shown in the first image in this gallery.  The following images show the steps needed to create such a view.

https://naturelover.smugmug.com/Other/JRiver-defining-a-classical

The key idea is that when you click on the play button, the files shown will be played in the order listed.  So you define the sort order with the track number as the last sort field.  (MC uses the disk number as well so a work that begins with Track 5 on disk 1 and continues with track 1 and 2 on disk 2 will be played in the correct order.

The user interface doesn't look the same in Standard mode with a different style view  such as categories or in Theater mode but it works in an analogous way.  You define some fields that will ber used to browse and select files to play and define the sort order in which they will be displayed and played.

[wer]

There are many ways to do what you want Dennis, but I would recommend you follow the advice I've given previously regarding "Classical Compositions".  Detailed instructions are given in this thread:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=122114.0

As long as you are consistent in your track naming, you will find this method works well and extends MC's behavior in a beneficial and flexible way.  If you are not consistent with your track naming, you should change your habits.

Good luck...

[Dennis in FL]

Would you be so kind and post a pic of one of your classical tract and album tags (artist, album artist, name, conductor, orchestra, etc.)

[dtc]

I try to keep it simple. I just create a new "album" for each piece when there are multiple unrelated pieces on one album.  There is often not much logic to the grouping  of pieces on an album, so it is easier to find what I am looking for when I separate the. e.g.,  create Tchaikovsky Firebird and Stravinsky Romeo and Juliet even though they came on the same album.  Then, on each new album, they just play in track number order. I use the same album cover for both new "albums". For related pieces, like a collection of all of Mozart's Piano Concertos, I just separate keep them all in one album and sort by disc and track. 

If you are having trouble with movements playing out of order, make sure you view is sorted by disc number and track number.  Linking tracks in a piece is also useful, although it can take a while to do.

[Bohemian]

I try to keep it simple. I just create a new "album" for each piece when there are multiple unrelated pieces on one album.  There is often not much logic to the grouping  of pieces on an album, so it is easier to find what I am looking for when I separate the. e.g.,  create Tchaikovsky Firebird and Stravinsky Romeo and Juliet even though they came on the same album.  Then, on each new album, they just play in track number order. I use the same album cover for both new "albums". For related pieces, like a collection of all of Mozart's Piano Concertos, I just separate keep them all in one album and sort by disc and track. 

If you are having trouble with movements playing out of order, make sure you view is sorted by disc number and track number.  Linking tracks in a piece is also useful, although it can take a while to do.

That is my solution too. Even short pieces are made into separate 'albums' so I can play any work in isolation from the album it was on.
My only exception would be 'sampler albums' which I leave complete and tag under 'various'.

[Dennis in FL]

I try to keep it simple. I just create a new "album" for each piece when there are multiple unrelated pieces on one album.  There is often not much logic to the grouping  of pieces on an album, so it is easier to find what I am looking for when I separate the. e.g.,  create Tchaikovsky Firebird and Stravinsky Romeo and Juliet even though they came on the same album.  Then, on each new album, they just play in track number order. I use the same album cover for both new "albums". For related pieces, like a collection of all of Mozart's Piano Concertos, I just separate keep them all in one album and sort by disc and track. 

If you are having trouble with movements playing out of order, make sure you view is sorted by disc number and track number.  Linking tracks in a piece is also useful, although it can take a while to do.

That is exactly what I do. But I want to collapse the movements into a single title.  Example is shown in the images .... the first Andsnes piano concerto is shown normally and the second image shows it as "stacked"  - but it still keeps the first movement name.   

I'd like to click on a composite of the three movements...perhaps named simply

   - Rachmaninov Piano Concerto #2 - Andsnes

And then all three movements would play in track order.

If I use linked, the three movements still show.   I can use playlists but that will take a lot of setup time.

[dtc]

Try changing List Style from from Details to Album Thumbnail

[Dennis in FL]

Try changing List Style from from Details to Album Thumbnail

I don't know how to do that

[dtc]

I am not sure what skin you are using, but on the default one, you just click on the option at the top of the main (right side) window, select List Style and Album Thumbnails rather than Details.

[Listener]

Would you be so kind and post a pic of one of your classical tract and album tags (artist, album artist, name, conductor, orchestra, etc.)

I don't know who you were asking here.

I use Composer, Work Name, Artist (for the performers), Name (the track or movement name) and Version (to distinguish different recordings of the same work by the same performers.  This might be mono vs. stereo or several re-masterings of the same performance.)  In practice, I usually place the same info in the Album tag as in the Work name tag.

I have to fill out most of these tags by hand when I rip a CD because the YDDB tag database doesn't fill out tags the way I want them done.  I can usually use the find and replace command to re-format the Name tag so that I don't have to type every movement name.  For a CD with 2 symphonies or concerti, It normally takes about 1 minute to get the tag info in place.

JRiver has a useful command to populate tags based on file names and folder names.  If you have files with no tag info or unuseful tag info, this command can save lots og work.

[Dennis in FL]

I am not sure what skin you are using, but on the default one, you just click on the option at the top of the main (right side) window, select List Style and Album Thumbnails rather than Details.

I can't find it.   

[dtc]

There should be a pulldown at the top of the window.  Choose List Style. The Skin is Modern Cards : Grey. You choose the Skin in View.

My tagging is not set up for this type of view, but you get the idea.

[Dennis in FL]

There should be a pulldown at the top of the window.  Choose List Style. The Skin is Modern Cards : Grey. You choose the Skin in View.

My tagging is not set up for this type of view, but you get the idea.

OK...now, I see.   You had said look top right and it's not there.