by Daniel McAdam
To say that Apple's iPod
is not designed for classical music listeners would be
unfair. The iPod is designed primarily for a market that listens to
popular music which, for better or worse, greatly outnumbers the classical music
market. Consequently, the focus is on individual songs, as opposed to
larger works, and on performers, as opposed to composers.
Having said this, I must hasten to add that the iPod is a wonderful piece of audio equipment that, used properly, can be a tremendously convenient addition to a classical music lover's life. Imagine carting around - and listening to - the equivalent of hundreds of CDs with a device that fits in one's shirt pocket and weighs next to nothing.
My commute into Washington, DC involves a 20-minute bus ride and a 25-minute ride on the Metro. I could read - not a bad option - but now, thanks to the iPod, I can also start or end my workday listening to the works of Beethoven, or Brahms, or Chopin. I can sit at my desk at lunch and listen to Schumann, or Schubert, or Tchaikovsky. When I'm writing a report and my neighbors in the next cubicle become too loud, my iPod and earbuds provide the perfect solution.
In order to completely enjoy classical music on your iPod, there are two issues you'll want to address; the first is related to sound quality, and the second to organization.
Let's start with a reality check. If you make absolutely no adjustments at all, and simply copy (rip? import?) one of your classical CDs into iTunes, Apple's free software program, then put that music onto your iPod - all of which is simplicity itself - you'll get a pretty darn good listening experience. But let's assume that "pretty darn good" isn't good enough. This isn't really a problem. You just have to learn a bit of technical stuff, and how to make a few simple adjustments.
The technical stuff has to do with the rate of compression. Generally speaking, the more something is compressed, the less space it takes up. Conversely, the less something is compressed, the better the sound quality. What you're looking for is a happy medium.
I'll assume you've already downloaded the most recent version of iTunes, and have at least a vague idea of how to use it. So, if you want to improve the sound quality of the music imported to your iPod, here's all you need to do:
And that takes care of the whole sound quality issue, unless you download classical music from the iTunes Music Store, because I'm pretty sure (not one hundred percent sure, just pretty sure) that you don't have a choice here, and that any songs you purchase will be at the 128 kpbs setting.
Taking a few additional steps to keep your classical music organized on iPod is worth the effort. There are actually a couple of things to consider here, the first being that you want a nice flow of music, and the second being that you want your music easily accessible.
Flow - which, in this case, means less "dead air" between tracks - is important, especially if you're an opera lover. This is something you want to consider when you're importing a CD into iTunes, because it's at that time that you have an opportunity to join tracks. All you need to do is to highlight the tracks you want joined, go to Advanced, and then select Join CD Tracks.
An example is in order. You have a CD with two major works by Bartók; his Concerto for Orchestra (tracks 1 through 5), and his Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta (tracks 6 through 9). You've got iTunes running, you've inserted the CD, and you've got a screen in iTunes showing the 9 tracks. Highlight tracks 1 through 5, go to Advanced, and click on Join CD Tracks. Then highlight tracks 6 through 9, go to Advanced, and click on Join CD Tracks. Then just hit the button in the top right corner that says, "Import CD." You've just boiled down nine tracks to two works, which makes sense.
The only downside with joining tracks is that you can't later access each track individually; so, in our example, you can't just choose to listen to the Finale of the Concerto for Orchestra. If this is an issue for you with certain works (there are people who only want to listen to the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, but personally I think this is a terrible injustice), then don't join the CD tracks for those works. But really - do you actually want each of Brahms' 21 Hungarian Dances to have its own listing, that you'll have to scroll through? I sure don't.
Once you've imported a CD, you can look up the imported works in the Library section. Highlight a listing, right-click on it, and you'll find you have options (under Info) regarding how you want the piece listed. Are you happy with the genre selected? If you want to create a new genre, such as Chamber Music, just type right over the existing one. You can even put information in the Comments field, which might be useful.
Finally, although iTunes does not have a column for "composer" by default, one does exist, and can easily be added. Simply go to Library, right-click on the heading bar, and then, from the drop-down list, click on "Composer." A check mark will appear next to Composer on the list, and the column will be added - sometimes with correct information! (If not, see our advice on how classical music information should be formatted.)
As you can see from the above, the iPod is a great device for storing and listening to your classical music collection. If you already own an iPod, these few tips will enhance your enjoyment of the classical iPod experience. If you don't yet own an iPod, I hope this article will help you in your decision as to whether or not you would benefit from purchasing one.
Of related interest:
iPod® and iTunes® are registered trademarks of Apple.
Original text by Daniel McAdam, © 2005. Please note: all applicable material on this website is protected by law and may not be copied without express written permission.
