Why own multiple performances of the same work?

[vinteuil]

who arranged them top left to bottom right by birthdate of the composer! Just think how one goes about locating a particular composer!....well you can get close normally.
.

... ah, now that I applaud. My Eng: Lit: books are arranged chronologically by birth of author - a bugger to get right when I first decided to do so some thirty years ago, but eminently educational since...

[Petrushka]

...who arranged them top left to bottom right by birthdate of the composer! Just think how one goes about locating a particular composer!....well you can get close normally.

I wish I'd done that! It would be too much of a faff to rearrange the shelves now but I like that.

[Pulcinella]

I wish I'd done that! It would be too much of a faff to rearrange the shelves now but I like that.

If more than one work, then birthdate of the composer of the first piece on the disc, or of the earliest composer represented?
Actually, a friend of mine arranges his collection like that (I need to ask him that question though), but in genres first.
I'm sure I've mentioned previously that a CD shop in Italy I went into arranged all their opera CD alphabetically by the title of the opera: in Italian, regardless of what the CD spine said!
I regretted not buying the Decca King Priam (under R for Re) there, but, not that long after, Chandos took it into their series and reissued it.

[vinteuil]

... a CD shop in Italy I went into arranged all their opera CD alphabetically by the title of the opera

Tower Records in Regent Street used to arrange opera alphabetically by title - very irritating when I went in one lunchtime wanting to buy all the available operas by Rameau

[Roger Webb]

If more than one work, then birthdate of the composer of the first piece on the disc, or of the earliest composer represented?......

And don't forget to leave adequate space top shelf left for the 'Anons' - usually the earliest composers....oh, and such discs as 'Music from Ancient Greece'!

[Pulcinella]

Tower Records in Regent Street used to arrange opera alphabetically by title - very irritating when I went in one lunchtime wanting to buy all the available operas by Rameau

That's right: I remember now.
But I can't recall if they used the original title or the English translation: I suspect the original. Could be tricky for Janacek, say!

[oliver sudden]

But in the pottiest-way-to-library ones LPs and CDs the prize must go to dear David and Derek (neither still with us RIP both ) who arranged them top left to bottom right by birthdate of the composer! Just think how one goes about locating a particular composer!....well you can get close normally.

What do you mean, potty? That’s exactly what I do!

[Roger Webb]

What do you mean, potty? That’s exactly what I do!

I always did say the wrong thing, inadvertently upsetting somebody. A woman came into my shop (in Bristol) and asked where the Broadmead Shopping Centre was. I told her to go down Wine St and she'd come to a bit that looked like Luton, or somewhere. She replied 'What do you mean by that, I come from Luton'!... just my luck!

[oliver sudden]

If more than one work, then birthdate of the composer of the first piece on the disc, or of the earliest composer represented?

In my case: if there’s more than one composer then it depends if one is unambiguously (as decided by me) ‘filler’. If so, then just according to the main composer. If not, then collections have their own section by genre (orchestra (then alphabetical by conductor), ensemble, early music, voice, solo instrument…). There’s always a bit of freedom how those get organised—the chamber recordings organised by Dieter Klöcker are with his solo things, for example. Sometimes it’s just according to what looks nice! And the megaboxes are on top of a shelf separate from the other stuff.

[oliver sudden]

I always did say the wrong thing, inadvertently upsetting somebody. A woman came into my shop (in Bristol) and asked where the Broadmead Shopping Centre was. I told her to go down Wine St and she'd come to a bit that looked like Luton, or somewhere. She replied 'What do you mean by that, I come from Luton'!... just my luck!

Not upset, just amused

Seriously though, I much prefer having Bach and Handel or Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven rubbing shoulders (more or less).

[LHC]

.... who arranged them top left to bottom right by birthdate of the composer! Just think how one goes about locating a particular composer!....well you can get close normally.

I didn't go quite that far as I've always filed my LPs, CDs, SACDs etc in alphabetical order by composer. However, I did at one stage file recordings under each composer by date of composition. It worked best for operas and larger works (it was both very satisfying and educational for example to have Verdi's operas set out in composition order), but very confusing for recordings with multiple works on them.

I eventually reverted to follow Gramophone's reviewing conventions so pieces are filed under each composer by Orchestral, Chamber, Solo, Vocal and Choral and Opera. Recitals and conductor box sets are stored at the end in alpha order by name of artist.

I do keep formats separate, so LPs, CDs, SACDs DVDs and Blu Rays are all filed separately.

[Roger Webb]

...................are filed under each composer by Orchestral, Chamber, Solo, Vocal and Choral and Opera. Recitals........

I adopted this system in my CD shop, much to the confusion of customers who were used to many shops who usually just had alphabetical by composer with genres mixed up......a lady I noticed browsing (and frowning, a sure sign she couldn't locate the desired disc), so I did my usual 'may I help', to which she said a bit grumpily, 'why haven't you got any Fauré Requiems?', I replied that they were in the 'Choral' section, pointing her in its direction. She started to browse, the frown reappeared, 'how am I supposed to choose, you have at least 9 here'!....can't please some people!

[Alain Maréchal]

That Ravel and Debussy Quartets frequently appeared one either side of LPs ( I had at least 14 of that coupling) presented a problem. Since I filed LPs by a system that reflected my interests then I could place those LPs between Ravel to the left and Debussy to the right. Franck was to the left, Fauré, Roussel, Poulenc, Dutilleux, Duruflé, were further along.

Fortunately (for nobody but me) my strange spatial and visual memory helped. Colleagues remarked that although I had a desk littered with files which resembled an unmade bed, I could without fail locate a particular fiche within seconds. I did the same with LPs, but felt compelled to adopt some system. I considered geography, since I had very little that was not European. CDs are filed on the "accession" principle - see "strange memory"

Mme. M and I are in the midst of a removal, and Les Gentlemen de Déménagement have packed everything into boxes. I have no clue what will happen at "the other end", but I can look forward to hours, days, weeks of amusement or anguish. I look forward to discoveries. "‘tsundoku’" i now learn.

( I think Mr Webb files alphabetically. He should try all the Atterberg symphonies, preferably not the Jarvi recordings, and then look a little to the left and try Alfven).

[LHC]

I adopted this system in my CD shop, much to the confusion of customers who were used to many shops who usually just had alphabetical by composer with genres mixed up......a lady I noticed browsing (and frowning, a sure sign she couldn't locate the desired disc), so I did my usual 'may I help', to which she said a bit grumpily, 'why haven't you got any Fauré Requiems?', I replied that they were in the 'Choral' section, pointing her in its direction. She started to browse, the frown reappeared, 'how am I supposed to choose, you have at least 9 here'!....can't please some people!

I think that's slightly different to my filing system. I don't separate out all choral works and file them separately, so Faure Requiems would still be filed under Faure, but for example my Mozart section would be filed with the concertos, then symphonies, then chamber works, then piano sonatas and other solo works, then the requiems, masses and other vocal works and then finally all the operas in alpha order.

[HighlandDougie]

That Ravel and Debussy Quartets frequently appeared one either side of LPs ( I had at least 14 of that coupling) presented a problem. Since I filed LPs by a system that reflected my interests then I could place those LPs between Ravel to the left and Debussy to the right. Franck was to the left, Fauré, Roussel, Poulenc, Dutilleux, Duruflé, were further along.

Fortunately (for nobody but me) my strange spatial and visual memory helped. Colleagues remarked that although I had a desk littered with files which resembled an unmade bed, I could without fail locate a particular fiche within seconds. I did the same with LPs, but felt compelled to adopt some system. I considered geography, since I had very little that was not European. CDs are filed on the "accession" principle - see "strange memory"

Mme. M and I are in the midst of a removal, and Les Gentlemen de Déménagement have packed everything into boxes. I have no clue what will happen at "the other end", but I can look forward to hours, days, weeks of amusement or anguish. I look forward to discoveries. "‘tsundoku’" i now learn.

( I think Mr Webb files alphabetically. He should try all the Atterberg symphonies, preferably not the Jarvi recordings, and then look a little to the left and try Alfven).

The very best of luck with the move (or "Re-Lo" in Trump-speak). The very thought of doing something similar makes me immediately think of something/anything else. "Tsonduku" be damned.