How to locate
a CD or DVD review on MusicWeb
There are at least 25,000 CD, book
and DVD reviews on MusicWeb; obviously
this number grows daily. Each is a separate
hard coded page. Musicweb is not a database
driven site. We have found it impractical
and unwieldy to attempt a comprehensive
list or index of all these 25,000 reviews
directly on the MusicWeb site, although
we are at work on some partial indexes (see #2 below).
Instead, we use a system with a number of distinct,
but overlapping, ways to find the music
review(s) you want:
1.
Search
Engines Enter search terms
such as composer, work's title, label
or reviewers name into either (or both)
of the two MusicWeb-specific search
engines which we use. Note: it often
pays to try both. Clicking on a link
in your results set which corresponds
to a review, leads straight back to
that review page on MusicWeb. However
the search engines sometimes only lead
you to the monthly index page containing
links to many reviews produced in that
month. Just scroll down to find the
one you are looking for.
It is possible to search using a catalogue
number but that will only work if you
happen to choose the same format as
that on a review. It is usually successful
if you close up the calalogue number
e.g 777 292-2 to 7772922. The search
engine is not case sensitive.
2. Indexes We have started
the Herculean task of indexing all our reviews in two ways: By
Label and By
Selected Masterwork. The former will, when complete,
list every review on the site under the heading of the record
label with the catalogue number and a disc title/description.
This will be useful if you are interested in a particular recording
and want to see if we have reviewed it.
The Masterwork index has focussed on those compositions
that are often recorded and which would be difficult to find
via a Google search. For example, it is difficult to think of
a search term that would allow you to efficiently find all reviews
of
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
All new reviews are being added at the time
of publication, and the "back catalogue" of reviews is being
added in reverse chronological
order.
3. Trawl
the Site
You can search month by month for previously-published
reviews. The appropriate page is accessible
from two places:
the
red 'Classical CD Reviews' tab in the
top (horizontal) navigation strip on
most MusicWeb pages, and
the
'Classical CD Review Archive' link in
the left-hand (vertical) navigation
column on most MusicWeb pages
Those two links do lead
to the same place - an
archive containing all MusicWeb
reviews since we began - that is from
2000 to the present. Scroll down a little
and you will see links by years and
months e.g.
Monthly reviews are divided alphabetically
into 6 Index pages.
Pages 2-5 are alphabetical by composer,
pages 6&7 are miscellaneous and
compilation discs (Page 1 is the Home
page). Here you have access to all the
MusicWeb CD reviews.
4. At the top of this archive page
you can click on 'Today's reviews' in
the six-item horizontal links to read
today's reviews - and more.
You will be taken back to our home
page (index.htm) where you may well
have started. You can always reach this
page by clicking on the big MusicWeb
logo top left of most pages.
On the home page click on the 'NEW
CD and DVD REVIEWS' box (the leftmost
of three horizontal boxes with double-line
red borders under the second row of
banner ads)
5. This drops you down on this same
page to links for 'Today's Reviews'
(identifiable by today's, or a very
recent, date at the top). You can also
get to more recent reviews: click on
the '[Click here for reviews from the
last five days]' link under the Bold
Red 'LATEST CD and DVD REVIEWS' heading.
6. Whilst on the Home page, you also
have access to a subset of previous
reviews for the current month. Use the
six text links (beginning '[Part 2 A-B]',
directly under 'Click for alphabetical
listings by composer:') Note that to
the right of this set of links are (small
typeface) links to reviews for previous
months, each offering you the appropriate
set of 6 index pages.
7. MusicWeb also has dedicated links
pages for specific disc release e.g.
EMI Great Recordings of the century.
These can be found using the Themed
Review Pages link in the left pink
side-bar. We also have a number of composer
discographies accessed by the Discographies
link in the left-hand pink sidebar.
Finally we do have a full site
map if you wish to find other things
on MusicWeb International.
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