Read beyond the headline work title
Look for arrangement wording, the actual performer and instrument. The work’s original identity and the performance’s instrumentation are different pieces of metadata. A short heading may preserve the familiar original title while the description supplies the arrangement.
Do not identify an instrument from sound alone when the programme credits are available. The official performance information is a better reference than a guess based on the title or a small still image.
Use a real listing as an example
The cited Classica programme includes Bach works performed by lutenist Thomas Dunford, including music identified as arranged for lute from a cello suite. That explains how a cello-work reference and a lute performance can belong together. The example comes from a dated U.S.schedule, not a claimed Canadian transmission.
Keep the work identifier and arrangement with the performer’s name when saving the item. Otherwise a later search can return the original-instrument performance instead.
Separate arrangement from another recording
Two performances can use the same composition while differing in instrument, ensemble, performer or edition. Matching the composer and broad title is not enough to establish that you found the exact recording.
If your goal is the original instrumentation, choose an explicitly identified version. If you enjoyed the arrangement, retain that detail. Neither needs to be treated as an error simply because it differs from the first performance you knew.
Report an actual mismatch narrowly
If the description clearly promises one performance but another plays, record the credited work, performer, instrument and observed content. A missing arrangement label is a metadata issue; an entirely different composition is another issue.
Avoid changing audio settings to fix an instrument that is intentionally part of the performance. A language or surround preference cannot turn one arrangement into another. The useful next step is confirming the actual programme identity, not inventing a playback fault from a shortened work title.
If the arrangement is not identified in a short guide heading, consult the detailed credits before asking for a correction. A shortened title can be incomplete without the performance being wrong. Keep a copy of the fuller description with the exact recording you mean.
Related questions
Does another instrument automatically mean the wrong work?
No. It may be an arrangement.
Will an audio setting change the arrangement?
No. Confirm the actual performance version.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- Classica U.S.schedule example, November 3, 2026 — Dated primary example of composition/performance dates and arrangements; no Canadian start-time or catalogue claim.
