# Classical style questions

**URL:** <https://community.metabrainz.org/t/classical-style-questions/487231>\
**Category:** Classical\
**Tags:** punctuation\
**Created:** [July 23, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/classical-style-questions/487231 "2020-07-23T16:38:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![prof\_frink](https://community.metabrainz.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@prof\_frink](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/prof_frink)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/classical-style-questions/487231/1 "2020-07-23T16:38:30Z")

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![IMG_20200723_133023](https://community.metabrainz.org/uploads/default/original/3X/8/d/8d0658404d5ff767c9b9212a969b377efee6475a.jpeg)

Should the original German name be in single quotes or double quotes?

(I’m assuming the English title should be in double quotes, per the style guide: [Style / Classical / Language / English - MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/doc/Style/Classical/Language/English). I’m also assuming that I should include the English name in parentheses and double quotes as part of the track title.)

 ![IMG_20200723_133044](https://community.metabrainz.org/uploads/default/original/3X/a/9/a9c817aabce1f3a9952f3b7b8924717d27e49df1.jpeg)

For dashes between tempo markings, is there a standard punctuation that we use (e.g., em-dash, en-dash, hyphen-minus, etc.)? I’ve just been using (space)-(hyphen-minus)-(space) for this release (e.g., Symphony no. 7 in A major, op. 92: I. Poco sostenuto - Vivace).

 ![IMG_20200715_083708](https://community.metabrainz.org/uploads/default/original/3X/8/4/84b2c082ddd667c57606a8505fb067d2914c0ac9.jpeg)

The style guide says to make no. lowercase, but it seems odd to have “4 Mazurkas, op. 6: **no.** 1 in F-sharp minor” instead of “4 Mazurkas, op. 6: **No.** 1 in F-sharp minor”. Which should I use after a colon?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![mfmeulenbelt](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/mfmeulenbelt/32/449_2.png) [@mfmeulenbelt](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/mfmeulenbelt)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/classical-style-questions/487231/2 "2020-07-23T21:42:44Z")

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Since the rest of that track title is in English, I would just follow the English rules and keep the quotation marks consistent. If you’d mix German and English quotation marks it would look a bit weird: Overture in C major, op. 115 „Zur Namensfeier“ (“Name Day Celebration”)

I use an en-dash as a separator (with spaces around it), a hyphen minus just looks so puny and inadequate (on the other hand em-dashes look like overcompensation). But most people don’t have the en-dash in a convenient place on their keyboards, so I wouldn’t go so far as to demand its use.

It’s OK to write No. with a capital after a colon. The basic rule is that classical titles use sentence case, and in English it is common to start with a capital after a colon. Note that in other languages a colon is not followed with a capital.

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**Author:** ![Griomo](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/griomo/32/4414_2.png) [@Griomo](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/Griomo)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/classical-style-questions/487231/3 "2020-07-23T23:44:52Z")

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> [@prof\_frink](#):
>
> For dashes between tempo markings, is there a standard punctuation that we use (e.g., em-dash, en-dash, hyphen-minus, etc.)? I’ve just been using (space)-(hyphen-minus)-(space) for this release (e.g., Symphony no. 7 in A major, op. 92: I. Poco sostenuto - Vivace).

En dash is conventional for binding a span, but watch out with the text parser which curiously has is as separator, pushing the latter part into next field: With your example parsed, the result will be a movement ‘Poco sostenuto’ by composer ‘Vivace’ (and ‘Beethoven’, disqualified as duration, is promptly kicked out). One might wonder why. I parse things with puny minus, swapping in en dashes afterwards track by track.

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**Author:** ![Deleted\_Editor\_1801019](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/deleted_editor_1801019/32/32938_2.png) [@Deleted\_Editor\_1801019](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/Deleted_Editor_1801019)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/classical-style-questions/487231/4 "2020-07-24T22:32:47Z")

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As a German I can only say we don’t use single quotes. From my gut feeling I would also only use quotation marks once, like so:

“Zur Namensfeier” (name day celebration)

if the part in parenthesis is meant as a translation of the official title.