IMSLP Forums

Dear forum members,
I have some questions and would be extremely grateful for all competent answers.

If you download sheet music in PDF format, which quality you prefer and why?
- scanned scores
- typeset scores without expressions and editorial marks as fingering and articulation
- typeset scores with all expressions, articulations and fingering
Do you ready to pay small amount for typeset scores because their quality is preferable for you?

There are a lot of sites which offer large collections of sheet music.
Some of them are free of charge other ask about monthly or yearly subscriptions or payment for every single sheet music.
If you have ever use any sheet music site please choose your variant
- I pay for every sheet music
- I pay for subscription and download as many scores as I need
- I use sites with free sheet music only

Scanned scores - I don't trust typesets (unless they are of publishable quality).
I use sites with free sheet music only - If I pay, I'd buy the hard-copy.

Why would one want a score without the composer's articulations and expression marks?

There are a lot of scores with extra marks though.

Defiantly scanned scores. The actual published music is better.

Nearly all newly-published music today from companies like Henle, Baerenreiter, Vienna Urtext, Oxford, etc. is made from computerized notation programs. Henle stopped plate engraving upon the retirement of their last master engraver in 2001 or so. They now use Finale - in a highly customized version. Other publishers use the commercial software packages as well, though usually fonts and other items are customized. While out-of-the-box Finale and Sibelius scores are easily recognized, the customized output of the major publishers looks a lot close (though not identical) to plate engraving.

That's very interesting, I always thought they just used SCORE. So I could customize Finale 2005a and produce published-looking scores! Well, maybe not, but it could be possible, at least.