As many readers know, I subscribe to emusic.com. It’s quite handy. When I need to study something I’ve not played before I often find recordings there. I also “discover” new composers and new groups. (That’s where I found Andrew Bird, for one. Yeah. I do listen to other “stuff” too.)

But boy, does emusic.com get annoying and even funny sometimes.

I just did a search on Elgar, selecting just “classical composer”, and this is what they give me for the composer:
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward Elgar
Elgar, Edward
Sir Edward William Elgar

Do they think these are four different composers? Hmmm. The first and third names give me 167 albums. The second gives me nine. The last gives me one. Weird.

Searching just generally on Stravinksy, leads me to more.
For artists I get:
Igor Stravinsky (4 Albums and 9 Compilations)
Igor Stravinsky w/ Woody Herman (1 CD link: Everest’s Jazz Digest)
Igor Feodorovic Stravinsky (1 CD link: Masters of the Roll, Vol. 3: Piano Music of Stravinsky)

and for composers I get:
Igor Stravinsky (99 albums)
Igor Feodorovic Stravinsky (1 CD, The Silver Swan, by someone named Matthew Barley
Stravinsky, Igor (99 albums, just like above, but why have both?)

Okay, maybe I’m just being picky. (Who? … ME?!)

But … BEETHOVEN? Well … for composer I’m taken to these:
Beethoven
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Beethoven, Ludwig Van
Beethoven, Arranger: Mancini
L. van Beethoven
Ludvig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Ludwig van Beethoven

But, best of all, I’m also given these, with Beethoven listed as … drum roll … classical conductor!:
L. van Beethoven
Ludwig Van Beethoven

Who’da thunk it?

So I think emusic needs some classical folk to help them. Don’t you? 😉

I’d offer my services for … well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? … free downloads. I’m nice that way.