IMSLP Forums

This is where any topic suggestions for the IMSLP journal may be explored and discussed. Feel free to post!

I'd like to see articles on IMSLP's amazing (and growing) PD audio file collection. Many people associate IMSLP with just sheet music. That's now wrong. It's a shame for the audio files not to be better known. Why not use the Journal to publicise them?

If someone wanted to write a brief article "bigging up" the sound files that would be great. Or point me to some sources and I'll happily do it.

Our brilliant Journal developer, Helen Hou-Sandi, has installed a very elegant plugin for embedding MP3s, so an article on the sound collection could be illustrated with a selection of the sounds themselves.

But, if I wrote it, I'd need someone to write a few lines here, guiding me through the collection, drawing attention to rare/unusual files etc.

Carolus has been doing a large amount of the collecting of free recordings, so you might want him to list a few suggestions for you.

(Speaking of rare and unusual, I would love to get my hands on some of the Havergal Brian première recordings dating from the 1950s for IMSLP-EU: these are just beginning to enter the PD in the United Kingdom, even though the underlying musical works are not; and yes, this does make for awkward issues of permissions.)

Poke me occasionally to write an article for you, BTW.

Cheers PML

You're welcome to write an article anytime

pml wrote:Carolus has been doing a large amount of the collecting of free recordings, so you might want him to list a few suggestions for you.

If Carolus could find the time, that would be wonderful.

Presumably, because they're PD no legal issues arise from (a) downloading them from imslp.org servers (b) cutting them up, as necessary, in Audacity to make sound samples (c) uploading them to imslpjournal.org and (d) streaming them from there?

pml wrote:Poke me occasionally to write an article for you, BTW.

You bet. I help run several blogs and have noticed that the IMSLP blog (Journal) enjoys a special status. The internet's awash with people blogging, competing for attention, shoving their stuff into cyberspace only to watch it sink without trace.

Because of IMSLP's good reputation - a genuinely international reputation - Journal articles tend to get read and talked about. The Journal "floats" on the high regard in which IMSLP is held. You only have to read some of the comments on IMSLP's Twitter feed to test the truth of that claim.

All that's a long-winded way of saying: IMSLP Journal articles tend to get read. So it's a powerful platform, ready and waiting to be occupied by all IMSLP contributors.

I was wondering whether anyone is willing to do what is essentially short "Tips" on how to use IMSLP? I know that some of IMSLP's features are rather hidden and sometimes not all that user friendly. For example, the Category Walker I think is in great need of a short "how to use" guide.

Anyone willing to do such an article/series please feel free to ask me questions! I would do it myself but I don't think I'm very good with artfully getting screenshots and putting them on the blog... I'll focus more on announcing new features.

For reference, here is the talk page conversation between Carolus and I with respect to the recordings:

Hi Carolus. I know that you have been doing a fair amount of file collecting for PD recordings. Since so many people associate IMSLP with just sheet music, I would like to write an article on journal publicizing our growing collection of recordings. Our web developer, Helen Hou-Sandi, implemented an MP3 system to the journal. This means an article on the sound collection could be illustrated with a selection of the sounds themselves. I was wondering if you could offer a list of a few suggestions containing rare, special, or high quality recordings, so we have something to write about. With kind regards, BKhon 02:59, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


:Right off the top of my head would be the outstanding series recorded at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. They have released them under a Creative Commons license for free download, and IMSLP is mirroring their collection. The performances are first rate and include a number of standard works. Also of interest are the series of recordings made available by the owners of the Pandora Music label, some fine performances by Musica Viva of Washington, DC, the young Italian pianist Stefano Ligoratti and an interesting series of orchestral performances featuring Barbara Schubert conducting two Chicago area orchestras: the Du Page Symphony and the University of Chicago Orchestra. There are also a number of historical performances available featuring artists such as Rachmaninoff, Artur Schnabel and Scriabin. Carolus 05:19, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

::Although the recordings are of quartets played/multisequenced by one person at all parts and so of lower quality than ideal, rarity value is considerable and to my mind so is interest - I am thinking of User Matesic's series of typesets and MP3 recordings (Steve's Bedroom Band) of mostly string quartets by MacFarren, Ellerton and others. Some good music there, in my opinion! Eric 06:46, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

:::I think Steve's Bedroom Band is definitely worth a mention, too! The realizations are quite well done and it's a great way to get an idea of what some very unfamiliar music sounds like. Carolus 06:52, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


Now, @ FM:

imslp wrote: I was wondering whether anyone is willing to do what is essentially short "Tips" on how to use IMSLP?

Sure, I think that would be a great idea.