Peer Review

The Classical MIDI Connection

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Jan 25, 2004 by Music

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This site provides MIDI performances of classical works which can be located by
musical period, title, or composer. MIDI files created by several authors are collected and placed on this site. Readers are encouraged to share their files. It also offers support information for MIDI related topics as well as composer images and musical timelines.
Type of Material:: Classical works performed with MIDI files, static images and MIDI information.
Recommended Uses:: Students can quickly find supportive listening from most musical periods to
augment their studies. They also have a place to browse in support of appreciation, history and and analysis classes.
Technical Requirements:: Use of a browser with .mid extension capabilities.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Realizing that live performances are often very difficult to find for study
purposes, this is an immediate way to hear performances relatively close to the
original. Not all works listed have MIDI files so there is a goal to complete
the list to have a fully represented historical overview through listening.
Target Student Population:: This site could be used for all ages depending on the level of listening
experience and background. Music appreciation, music history and music analysis students would find these midi performances useful.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: No real musical background is required to listen at some level. Working with a
browser and MIDI files is required (playing of files only).

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: The collection has many selections already and the list of selections with no
MIDI files yet is impressive. This is a very fast way to find an example of a
selection that is discussed in a text but is not accompanied by a recording. It
offers students a way to hear what is being described when they might otherwise
not go through the process of getting a recording. (Support for music history). Musical timbres are selected that are close to those appropriate for each historical period. The supportive timelines offer a concise historical framework.
Concerns:: MIDI files are certainly not fully equivalent to acoustical performances but for structural study and intial appreciation these files can be useful. The context for study would have to be supplied by a larger body of supportive material.
The collection is still somewhat uneven. Some of the more obscure pieces listed do not have a MIDI file yet and these are probably the ones most needed.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: As support for a course where students have limited listening opportunities,
this is a valuable resource for either a general historical overview or a study of musical form.
Concerns:: Completeness of the collection remains a concern. The midi performance falls short for the study of performance practice.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The layout is very good. The supportive materials are helpful and very
accessible. Navigation is well thought out.

Other Issues and Comments:: This collection of MIDI files has many selections of classical music; and, the
list of selections with no MIDI files yet is impressive. Hopefully it will
continue to grow. This is a very fast way to find a musical example discussed in a text not accompanied by a recording. It offers students an convenient alternative to hard to find or expensive recordings.
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