Tools
Name/ClassicalBio
Returns a biography of a person or group involved in classical music.
This request may return a large amount of data. To speed data transmission, request a compressed response by including Accept-Encoding: gzip,deflate in the HTTP header.
Syntax
| name/classicalbio? | name=name nameid=nameid cosmoid=cosmoid amgpopid=amgpopid amgmovieid=amgmovieid amgclassicalid=amgclassicalid |
&apikey=apikey&sig=sig [&format=format] [&country=country] [&language=language] |
Request Example 1
- Request a biography of Leonard Bernstein.
Request Example 2
- Request a biography of Janos Starker using an AMG classical ID.
Request Parameters
Click to re-sort
| Parameter | Required | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| apikey | Yes | Access code that authorizes your request for data from Rovi. | ||
| sig | Yes | A calculated, 32-hex-digit authorization code. To perform the calculation, execute the MD5 function on the concatenation of the following three ASCII strings:
Express the alpha hex digits as lower case. Perform the calculation at the time of each request to be sure it's within a five-minute window of the server time. If you're testing the call in a browser, use our online signature generator to perform the calculation. | ||
| amgclassicalid | Conditional | All Media Guide (AMG) ID for a classical music artist, consisting of a ten-character string that starts with Q and is followed by nine digits with leading spaces. For example: Q 9065. When using an AMG Classical ID in a request, replace any spaces in the ID with plus (+) or percent20 (%20) symbols, like this: Q+++++9065. AMG is a legacy database of entertainment information. Condition: The request must contain just one of these parameters:
| ||
| amgmovieid | Conditional | All Media Guide (AMG) ID for a person who works in movies, consisting of a seven-character string that starts with P and is followed by 6 digits with leading spaces. For example: P 30474. When using an AMG Movie ID in a request, replace any spaces in the ID with plus (+) or percent20 (%20) symbols, like this: P+30474. Condition: The request must contain just one of these parameters:
| ||
| amgpopod | Conditional | All Media Guide (AMG) ID for a popular music artist, consisting of a ten-character string that starts with P and is followed by 9 digits with leading spaces. For example: P 84363. When using an AMG Pop ID in a request, replace any spaces in the ID with plus (+) or percent20 (%20) symbols, like this: P++++84363. Condition: The request must contain just one of these parameters:
| ||
| cosmoid | Conditional | Cosmo database ID for a person, group, or organization. You can get Cosmo IDs with Search requests. Cosmo is a database of television data.
Condition: The request must contain just one of these parameters:
| ||
| name | Conditional | Name of the person or group. This returns the top search result for that name. Replace any spaces with plus (+) or percent20 (%20) symbols.
Condition: The request must contain just one of these parameters:
| ||
| nameid | Conditional | Rovi Music ID for a person, group, or organization, consisting of the prefix MN followed by a ten-digit number. For example: MN0000114342. Your application can grab name IDs from responses to Search and from Info, Credits, Tracks, and Recommendations requests. For a complete list of requests that return name IDs, click here.
Condition: The request must contain just one of these parameters:
| ||
| country | No | Country the language parameter applies to. The current release of the API supports only US. | ||
| format | No | Format of the returned data: json or xml. The default is JSON. | ||
| language | No | Language of the response. This request supports only en, English. |
Response
Response Header
| Response | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| build | string | The software release level of the API. |
| code | integer | HTTP status code. See the status field for the text part of the code. |
| duration | integer | Server processing time in milliseconds. The difference between startTime and endTime. |
| endTime | string | When the server sent the response (UTC time). |
| messages | Message [ ] | Elements of a multiple HTTP response status message. |
| parameters | parameters | The parameters that were included in the request. |
| parentIds | parentIds | All of the IDs for the requested name that are recognized by the Name API. |
| serverName | string | Name of the server that processed the request. |
| startTime | string | When the server received the request (UTC time). |
| status | string | Text part of the HTTP status code, which is shown in the code field. |
Response for Name/ClassicalBio
| Response | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| author | string | Author of the biography. |
| text | string | The biography. |
JSON Response Example
- Here's the response to Request Example 1, which asks for a biography of Leonard Bernstein. The response is formatted with extra spaces and carriage returns to make it easy to read.
- Requested with http://api.rovicorp.com/data/v1.1/name/classicalbio?apikey=apikey&sig=sig&
nameid=MN0000239859.
{
"status":"ok",
"code":200,
"messages":null,
"build":"1.5.1.9",
"parameters":{
"apiKey":"apikey",
"id":"MN0000239859"
},
"serverName":"tul1cssw3",
"startTime":"2011-04-28T18:50:53.6544252Z",
"endTime":"2011-04-28T18:50:53.7013011Z",
"duration":46,
"parentIds":{
"amgClassicalId":"Q 7057",
"amgMovieId":"P 81651",
"amgPopId":"P 910",
"cosmoId":"105549",
"nameId":"MN0000239859"
},
"classicalBio":{
"text":"As composer, conductor, and educator, [roviLink=\"MN\"]Leonard Bernstein[\/roviLink] (1918-1990) emerged as one of a handful of figures in the twentieth century who truly changed the face of music. As a composer, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] left a far-reaching legacy that includes three symphonies, a film score of singular distinction, ([roviLink=\"MC\"]On the Waterfront[\/roviLink]), and an important body of stage works, including one of the cornerstones of American musical theater, [roviLink=\"MC\"]West Side Story[\/roviLink] (1957). The first American-born conductor to attain international superstardom, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] made a profound impression on audiences; his podium manner was dynamic, even flamboyant, to an extent never before witnessed. [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink]'s extroverted manner attracted much criticism from those who dismissed him as a mere exhibitionist; his advocates, however, far outnumbered his detractors. \u000d\u000aBorn in Lawrence, MA, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] made his mark first as a composer. He attended Harvard University, where he studied with [roviLink=\"MN\"]Walter Piston[\/roviLink] among other distinguished figures. Occasionally he wrote popular songs on the side using the pseudonym Lenny Amber (\"amber\" being the English translation of the word \"Bernstein\"). His works of the 1940s, both weighty and light, brought him considerable acclaim; the single year of 1944 saw the premieres of two especially well-received scores, the [roviLink=\"MC\"]Symphony No. 1, \"Jeremiah\"[\/roviLink], and the ballet [roviLink=\"MC\"]Fancy Free[\/roviLink]. During his sometimes rocky tenure (1958-1969) as music director of the [roviLink=\"MN0000867751\"]New York Philharmonic[\/roviLink], [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] brought that ensemble to a new level of prestige and popularity: every [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] concert and recording became a much-anticipated event. Through his association with the [roviLink=\"MN0000867751\"]New York Philharmonic[\/roviLink] and a neverending stream of guest engagements worldwide, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] became particularly renowned as an interpreter of [roviLink=\"MN0000017558\"]Mahler[\/roviLink] and [roviLink=\"MN0000765838\"]Copland[\/roviLink]; he did much to carve out the prominent place in the orchestral concert repertory that both composers now maintain. Already well-known by the time he took over the [roviLink=\"MN0000867751\"]New York Philharmonic[\/roviLink], [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] became truly famous in 1958, with the first of his series of televised Young People's Concerts, fondly remembered by many as their introduction to the world of classical music. Among the first group of students to receive training at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] soon became the institution's guiding light, serving as teacher and mentor for generations of musicians. Though he remained a giant of the podium until the very end, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] curtailed his conducting activities in later years in order to spend more time composing. Little of [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink]'s music from the 1970s on has attained the same level of popularity achieved by his earlier works; still, it comprises a distinguished, substantial body of work that includes [roviLink=\"MC\"]Mass[\/roviLink] (1971), the [roviLink=\"MA\"]opera[\/roviLink] [roviLink=\"MC\"]A Quiet Place[\/roviLink] (1983), and the song cycle [roviLink=\"MC\"]Arias and Barcarolles[\/roviLink] (1988).",
"author":"All Music Guide"
}
}
"status":"ok",
"code":200,
"messages":null,
"build":"1.5.1.9",
"parameters":{
"apiKey":"apikey",
"id":"MN0000239859"
},
"serverName":"tul1cssw3",
"startTime":"2011-04-28T18:50:53.6544252Z",
"endTime":"2011-04-28T18:50:53.7013011Z",
"duration":46,
"parentIds":{
"amgClassicalId":"Q 7057",
"amgMovieId":"P 81651",
"amgPopId":"P 910",
"cosmoId":"105549",
"nameId":"MN0000239859"
},
"classicalBio":{
"text":"As composer, conductor, and educator, [roviLink=\"MN\"]Leonard Bernstein[\/roviLink] (1918-1990) emerged as one of a handful of figures in the twentieth century who truly changed the face of music. As a composer, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] left a far-reaching legacy that includes three symphonies, a film score of singular distinction, ([roviLink=\"MC\"]On the Waterfront[\/roviLink]), and an important body of stage works, including one of the cornerstones of American musical theater, [roviLink=\"MC\"]West Side Story[\/roviLink] (1957). The first American-born conductor to attain international superstardom, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] made a profound impression on audiences; his podium manner was dynamic, even flamboyant, to an extent never before witnessed. [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink]'s extroverted manner attracted much criticism from those who dismissed him as a mere exhibitionist; his advocates, however, far outnumbered his detractors. \u000d\u000aBorn in Lawrence, MA, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] made his mark first as a composer. He attended Harvard University, where he studied with [roviLink=\"MN\"]Walter Piston[\/roviLink] among other distinguished figures. Occasionally he wrote popular songs on the side using the pseudonym Lenny Amber (\"amber\" being the English translation of the word \"Bernstein\"). His works of the 1940s, both weighty and light, brought him considerable acclaim; the single year of 1944 saw the premieres of two especially well-received scores, the [roviLink=\"MC\"]Symphony No. 1, \"Jeremiah\"[\/roviLink], and the ballet [roviLink=\"MC\"]Fancy Free[\/roviLink]. During his sometimes rocky tenure (1958-1969) as music director of the [roviLink=\"MN0000867751\"]New York Philharmonic[\/roviLink], [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] brought that ensemble to a new level of prestige and popularity: every [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] concert and recording became a much-anticipated event. Through his association with the [roviLink=\"MN0000867751\"]New York Philharmonic[\/roviLink] and a neverending stream of guest engagements worldwide, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] became particularly renowned as an interpreter of [roviLink=\"MN0000017558\"]Mahler[\/roviLink] and [roviLink=\"MN0000765838\"]Copland[\/roviLink]; he did much to carve out the prominent place in the orchestral concert repertory that both composers now maintain. Already well-known by the time he took over the [roviLink=\"MN0000867751\"]New York Philharmonic[\/roviLink], [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] became truly famous in 1958, with the first of his series of televised Young People's Concerts, fondly remembered by many as their introduction to the world of classical music. Among the first group of students to receive training at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] soon became the institution's guiding light, serving as teacher and mentor for generations of musicians. Though he remained a giant of the podium until the very end, [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink] curtailed his conducting activities in later years in order to spend more time composing. Little of [roviLink=\"MN0000239859\"]Bernstein[\/roviLink]'s music from the 1970s on has attained the same level of popularity achieved by his earlier works; still, it comprises a distinguished, substantial body of work that includes [roviLink=\"MC\"]Mass[\/roviLink] (1971), the [roviLink=\"MA\"]opera[\/roviLink] [roviLink=\"MC\"]A Quiet Place[\/roviLink] (1983), and the song cycle [roviLink=\"MC\"]Arias and Barcarolles[\/roviLink] (1988).",
"author":"All Music Guide"
}
}
XML Response Example
- Here's an XML response to Request Example 1, which asks for a biography of Leonard Bernstein.
- Requested with http://api.rovicorp.com/data/v1.1/name/classicalbio?apikey=apikey&sig=sig&
nameid=MN0000239859&format=xml.
<NameClassicalBio xmlns="com.rovicorp.metadataservice" xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<status>ok</status>
<code>200</code>
<messages i:nil="true"/>
<build>1.5.1.9</build>
<parameters>
<apiKey>apikey</apiKey>
<id>MN0000239859</id>
<format>xml</format>
</parameters>
<serverName>tul1cssw1</serverName>
<startTime>2011-04-28T18:49:18.0900998Z</startTime>
<endTime>2011-04-28T18:49:18.1057249Z</endTime>
<duration>15</duration>
<parentIds>
<amgClassicalId>Q 7057</amgClassicalId>
<amgMovieId>P 81651</amgMovieId>
<amgPopId>P 910</amgPopId>
<cosmoId>105549</cosmoId>
<nameId>MN0000239859</nameId>
</parentIds>
<classicalBio>
<text>As composer, conductor, and educator, [roviLink="MN"]Leonard Bernstein[/roviLink] (1918-1990) emerged as one of a handful of figures in the twentieth century who truly changed the face of music. As a composer, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] left a far-reaching legacy that includes three symphonies, a film score of singular distinction, ([roviLink="MC"]On the Waterfront[/roviLink]), and an important body of stage works, including one of the cornerstones of American musical theater, [roviLink="MC"]West Side Story[/roviLink] (1957). The first American-born conductor to attain international superstardom, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] made a profound impression on audiences; his podium manner was dynamic, even flamboyant, to an extent never before witnessed. [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink]'s extroverted manner attracted much criticism from those who dismissed him as a mere exhibitionist; his advocates, however, far outnumbered his detractors. Born in Lawrence, MA, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] made his mark first as a composer. He attended Harvard University, where he studied with [roviLink="MN"]Walter Piston[/roviLink] among other distinguished figures. Occasionally he wrote popular songs on the side using the pseudonym Lenny Amber ("amber" being the English translation of the word "Bernstein"). His works of the 1940s, both weighty and light, brought him considerable acclaim; the single year of 1944 saw the premieres of two especially well-received scores, the [roviLink="MC"]Symphony No. 1, "Jeremiah"[/roviLink], and the ballet [roviLink="MC"]Fancy Free[/roviLink]. During his sometimes rocky tenure (1958-1969) as music director of the [roviLink="MN0000867751"]New York Philharmonic[/roviLink], [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] brought that ensemble to a new level of prestige and popularity: every [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] concert and recording became a much-anticipated event. Through his association with the [roviLink="MN0000867751"]New York Philharmonic[/roviLink] and a neverending stream of guest engagements worldwide, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] became particularly renowned as an interpreter of [roviLink="MN0000017558"]Mahler[/roviLink] and [roviLink="MN0000765838"]Copland[/roviLink]; he did much to carve out the prominent place in the orchestral concert repertory that both composers now maintain. Already well-known by the time he took over the [roviLink="MN0000867751"]New York Philharmonic[/roviLink], [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] became truly famous in 1958, with the first of his series of televised Young People's Concerts, fondly remembered by many as their introduction to the world of classical music. Among the first group of students to receive training at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] soon became the institution's guiding light, serving as teacher and mentor for generations of musicians. Though he remained a giant of the podium until the very end, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] curtailed his conducting activities in later years in order to spend more time composing. Little of [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink]'s music from the 1970s on has attained the same level of popularity achieved by his earlier works; still, it comprises a distinguished, substantial body of work that includes [roviLink="MC"]Mass[/roviLink] (1971), the [roviLink="MA"]opera[/roviLink] [roviLink="MC"]A Quiet Place[/roviLink] (1983), and the song cycle [roviLink="MC"]Arias and Barcarolles[/roviLink] (1988).</text>
<author>All Music Guide</author>
</classicalBio>
</NameClassicalBio>
<status>ok</status>
<code>200</code>
<messages i:nil="true"/>
<build>1.5.1.9</build>
<parameters>
<apiKey>apikey</apiKey>
<id>MN0000239859</id>
<format>xml</format>
</parameters>
<serverName>tul1cssw1</serverName>
<startTime>2011-04-28T18:49:18.0900998Z</startTime>
<endTime>2011-04-28T18:49:18.1057249Z</endTime>
<duration>15</duration>
<parentIds>
<amgClassicalId>Q 7057</amgClassicalId>
<amgMovieId>P 81651</amgMovieId>
<amgPopId>P 910</amgPopId>
<cosmoId>105549</cosmoId>
<nameId>MN0000239859</nameId>
</parentIds>
<classicalBio>
<text>As composer, conductor, and educator, [roviLink="MN"]Leonard Bernstein[/roviLink] (1918-1990) emerged as one of a handful of figures in the twentieth century who truly changed the face of music. As a composer, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] left a far-reaching legacy that includes three symphonies, a film score of singular distinction, ([roviLink="MC"]On the Waterfront[/roviLink]), and an important body of stage works, including one of the cornerstones of American musical theater, [roviLink="MC"]West Side Story[/roviLink] (1957). The first American-born conductor to attain international superstardom, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] made a profound impression on audiences; his podium manner was dynamic, even flamboyant, to an extent never before witnessed. [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink]'s extroverted manner attracted much criticism from those who dismissed him as a mere exhibitionist; his advocates, however, far outnumbered his detractors. Born in Lawrence, MA, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] made his mark first as a composer. He attended Harvard University, where he studied with [roviLink="MN"]Walter Piston[/roviLink] among other distinguished figures. Occasionally he wrote popular songs on the side using the pseudonym Lenny Amber ("amber" being the English translation of the word "Bernstein"). His works of the 1940s, both weighty and light, brought him considerable acclaim; the single year of 1944 saw the premieres of two especially well-received scores, the [roviLink="MC"]Symphony No. 1, "Jeremiah"[/roviLink], and the ballet [roviLink="MC"]Fancy Free[/roviLink]. During his sometimes rocky tenure (1958-1969) as music director of the [roviLink="MN0000867751"]New York Philharmonic[/roviLink], [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] brought that ensemble to a new level of prestige and popularity: every [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] concert and recording became a much-anticipated event. Through his association with the [roviLink="MN0000867751"]New York Philharmonic[/roviLink] and a neverending stream of guest engagements worldwide, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] became particularly renowned as an interpreter of [roviLink="MN0000017558"]Mahler[/roviLink] and [roviLink="MN0000765838"]Copland[/roviLink]; he did much to carve out the prominent place in the orchestral concert repertory that both composers now maintain. Already well-known by the time he took over the [roviLink="MN0000867751"]New York Philharmonic[/roviLink], [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] became truly famous in 1958, with the first of his series of televised Young People's Concerts, fondly remembered by many as their introduction to the world of classical music. Among the first group of students to receive training at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] soon became the institution's guiding light, serving as teacher and mentor for generations of musicians. Though he remained a giant of the podium until the very end, [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink] curtailed his conducting activities in later years in order to spend more time composing. Little of [roviLink="MN0000239859"]Bernstein[/roviLink]'s music from the 1970s on has attained the same level of popularity achieved by his earlier works; still, it comprises a distinguished, substantial body of work that includes [roviLink="MC"]Mass[/roviLink] (1971), the [roviLink="MA"]opera[/roviLink] [roviLink="MC"]A Quiet Place[/roviLink] (1983), and the song cycle [roviLink="MC"]Arias and Barcarolles[/roviLink] (1988).</text>
<author>All Music Guide</author>
</classicalBio>
</NameClassicalBio>