Entity Types¶
MerMEId MeLODy supports 13 entity types. Each type corresponds to an RDF class in the melod: ontology, a dedicated folder in the data repository, and a SHACL shape file that defines its form fields.
All Entity Types at a Glance¶
| Entity Type | Folder | Class IRI | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work | works/ |
melod:Work |
Abstract intellectual or artistic creation |
| Expression | expressions/ |
melod:Expression |
A specific realisation of a work or source |
| Manifestation | manifestations/ |
melod:Manifestation |
A published or distributed version of an expression |
| Item | items/ |
melod:Item |
A single physical or digital copy |
| Person | persons/ |
melod:Person |
An individual relevant to the catalogue |
| Institution | institutions/ |
melod:Institution |
An organisation (publisher, archive, library) |
| Place | places/ |
melod:Place |
A geographic location |
| Venue | venues/ |
melod:Venue |
A specific performance venue |
| PerformanceEvent | performanceEvents/ |
melod:PerformanceEvent |
A documented performance |
| Instrumentation | instrumentations/ |
melod:Instrumentation |
A reusable scoring description |
| Bibliography | bibliography/ |
melod:Bibliography |
A bibliographic reference |
| Event | events/ |
melod:Event |
A general event (non-performance) |
| Letter | letters/ |
melod:Letter |
A letter or correspondence document |
FRBR Entities¶
Work¶
Class: melod:Work | Folder: works/
The abstract intellectual or artistic creation — the composer's intention, independent of any particular realisation, notation, or performance. See FRBR Hierarchy for details.
Key fields: title (primary and alternative), composer (linked Person), catalogue numbers (opus, BWV, TWV, etc.), genre, related works, linked expression.
Expression¶
Class: melod:Expression | Folder: expressions/
A specific realisation of a Work defined by its musical content. See FRBR Hierarchy for details.
Key fields: title of this realisation, scoring/instrumentation (linked Instrumentation or inline medium of performance), key, meter, date of composition, scoring overview, movements and sections, musical incipits (PAE format), performance events (linked PerformanceEvents), related expressions, completion status.
Manifestation¶
Class: melod:Manifestation | Folder: manifestations/
A published or otherwise distributed embodiment of an Expression. See FRBR Hierarchy for details.
Key fields: title as on the manifestation, publisher, place and date of publication, plate number, physical description and title pages (for manifestation singleton), related manifestations, linked items, linked expression.
Item¶
Class: melod:Item | Folder: items/
A single physical or digital copy of a Manifestation. See FRBR Hierarchy for details.
Key fields: holding institution (linked Institution), shelfmark and former shelfmark, RISM identifier, provenance notes, physical condition, link to digitisation, related items.
Contextual Entities¶
Person¶
Class: melod:Person | Folder: persons/
An individual relevant to the catalogue — composer, arranger, performer, editor, dedicatee, or any other biographical entity.
Fields:
| Field | RDF Property | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Surname | schema:familyName |
Required |
| First name | schema:givenName |
Required |
| Link / sameAs | owl:sameAs |
GND, VIAF, Wikidata, etc. Must be a full HTTP(S) URL |
| Gender | schema:gender |
Allowed values: female, male, diverse |
| Birth date | schema:birthDate |
Single date (YYYY-MM-DD) or a date span |
| Birth place | melod:birthPlace |
Linked entity dropdown (Place) |
| Death date | schema:deathDate |
Same pattern as birth date |
| Death place | melod:deathPlace |
Linked entity dropdown (Place) |
Institution¶
Class: melod:Institution | Folder: institutions/
An organisation relevant to the catalogue — publisher, library, archive, research institution, or performing organisation.
Key fields: name, abbreviated name, RISM siglum, place (linked Place), address, founding date, external authority link (owl:sameAs), description.
Place¶
Class: melod:Place | Folder: places/
A geographic location — city, region, country — used as a reference point for persons, events, performances, institutions, expressions and venues.
Key fields: name, Link/SameAs (Geonames, GND, Wikidata, ...), geographic coordinates, description.
Venue¶
Class: melod:Venue | Folder: venues/
A specific performance venue such as a concert hall, opera house, or church. More specific than Place — a Venue is located in a Place.
Key fields: name, place (linked Place), capacity, description, external link.
PerformanceEvent¶
Class: melod:PerformanceEvent | Folder: performanceEvents/
A documented performance of a Expression. Links together performers, venues, dates, and the performed expression.
Key fields: date of performance (single date or date span), venue (linked Venue), contributors (linked Persons or Institutions with role and certainty), description, evidence of the performance (linked Bibliography).
Instrumentation¶
Class: melod:Instrumentation | Folder: instrumentations/
A reusable scoring description that can be referenced by multiple Expressions. Defines the medium of performance (instruments, voices, ensemble type) independently of any specific work version.
Key fields: label (e.g. orchestra or SATB), medium of performance entries (instrument or voice type, count, solo or ad libitum, link to identifier), ensemble as part of a instrumentation (linked Instrumentation).
Bibliography¶
Class: melod:Bibliography | Folder: bibliography/
A bibliographic reference to secondary literature — a book, journal article, chapter, or edition — that can be cited from Work, Expression, or other entity records.
Key fields: reference type (letter, article, book, website), author(s) (linked Person or Institution), editors, title in different levels, year, publisher / journal, volume/issue/pages, identifier (DOI, ISBN, etc.), link (to Zotero).
Event¶
Class: melod:Event | Folder: events/
A general event entity for non-performance contexts — a conference, workshop, commissioning event, or premiere of a work without full performance documentation.
Key fields: name of the event, date (single date or date span), place (linked Place), description, contributors (linked Persons or Institutions with roles), evidence of the event (linked Bibliography).
Letter¶
Class: melod:Letter | Folder: letters/
A letter or correspondence document. Used to document primary source material such as composers' letters that relate to specific works or expressions.
Key fields: title of the letter, sender (linked Person or Institution), recipient (linked Person or Institution), date (single date or date span), sent place (linked Place), received place (linked Place), description.
Repository Folder Structure¶
All entity folders are present in a data repository created from the MerMEId MeLODy Template. In this Template you can find example .ttl files as well. The structure looks like this:
my-catalogue/
├── configuration/
│ └── config.json
├── works/
├── expressions/
├── manifestations/
├── items/
├── persons/
├── institutions/
├── places/
├── venues/
├── performanceEvents/
├── instrumentations/
├── bibliography/
├── events/
└── letters/
The folder names are defined in the configuration of the editor. Do not rename these folders.