IMSLP Forums

Hi

I care a lot about this site and the thoughtful volunteer work so many people have done.
As a long time user of this site, mainly for composition- orchestration tech score study. Having home access to these works and being able to download a score and write all over it- analyzing the orchestration- has been wonderful. Something one can't do with a library loan. Not that I mind writing out an orchestration or even transcribing it. Both of which I've done tons of. At this point in my career it's nice to have those pre- steps done by having instant access to so many great works.

That said I have started to cull my personal music library and as I have been looking each piece that I am selling up ( my library is extremely large) which is why I am culling to get rid of compositions and arrangements aren't aren't being used. I have started to notice that a lot of the older - or pieces that are out of print ( some only had one pressing)
that some are on your wish list - Or you have but only say the score and not the solo part.

Before I send these pieces to new homes- if they are Public domain - Should I just go ahead and scan and upload to the composers page?

Just a quick example - The Grafe, Freidebald. Grand Concerto for Trombone and Piano.] Arr Laude. Cundy-Bettoney Co, 1944.
Score is there solo part is not
http://imslp.org/wiki/Trombone_Concerto ... edebald%29
I have a different edition- The one posted so don't know if its' PD or not?


also There are a couple pieces that are on your Wishlist - But the composers name is in Red - I take that to me that the peice will soon be PD but is not yet. Would it be legal for me to make a scan , keep and then upload when PD
an example is Grøndahl, Launy (1886-1960) Trombone Concerto (pub. 1924)


Anyways I am coming across a number of pieces that I plan to sell - at very reasonable prices. It's important they go to good homes
but wanted to make sure than anything that could be of use here- I scan , so that everyone can have access.

I'll have more questions later but this is the burning ones.

Thanks
BMSMP

Dear BMSMPgirl

It would be great whatever you can contribute. By the sounds of those pieces you want to upload, they would be PD like the Grafe you mentioned, we would have to take a look at it. Have you reviewed this page here linked on the main page: http://imslp.org/wiki/Public_domain. This will give you more details about if your pieces are PD in one of the regions at least. If you are not sure, start by uploading the problematic ones and the Copyright Reviewers will take a look.

Thankyou
That is really great you have reviewers w/ more copyright experience.
I printed the submissions info and will review before sending anything.
Have library and music prep, archival experience so I can make a pretty decent scan of some really messed up parts.
The exacto knife is a godsend.

As I am juggling a number of projects at the moment- can i ask a quick question ?
Regarding the C R experts that review the materials

Do I just send a list of what I believe is PD and POP here of send to someone on the web site?
Don't want to start throwing things up .

Also are most of you using- saving to an external drive your PD scans- thus freeing up personal computer space
or storing on internet storage site. If the later which one do you trust the most, That part I am not all that hip to.

I've used dropbox many times to communicate scores that I am editing for my business. But not sure where to put my personal PD scans

Sorry for the newbie questions, Just want to do this right and be of some us to this group. Having a pretty Eclectic Collection.

Respectfully,
BMSMPgirl

The general rule of thumb is to make sure that the last surviving contributor for whichever score you want to add died before 1966. The main exception to this rule pertains to critical editions where nothing of an original nature was added by the editor (prefaces, etc. obviously should be omitted). Our rule for this - which we observe voluntarily because we agree with the basic premise behind Germany's 25-year term (from publication) for such editions (even though it's likely most if not all would fail Canada's fairly high 'threshold of originality') - is no critical editions less than 25 years old are allowed.

Thanks,
So glad you have copyright experts on staff so to speak

A Question Regarding Arrangements of Public domain works- Do those go under the composer's page or under arranger?
are arrangements wanted here- Or are just the original works as they become found or PD ?

Arrangements go onto the page for the original - unless they are so free-form that they would be more accurately described as something like 'Free-Fantasy on <Original Title> by <Original Composer>', or the arrangement is of an anonymous work like a folk-tune, hymn, or carol. These exceptions are added under the arranger's category as if they were a composition. The same rule applies to operatic potpourris, medleys and the like - which helps to keep large opera pages from being overloaded with such things (which are considerable in number). The Paris publishers of the 19th century even manufactured a pseudonym which was commonly employed by them for such operatic derivatives, which they dubbed as "Cramer", some appending an initial before it. Thus "Cramer" was whichever cafe-pianist they lured off the streets to churn out an arrangement that day… "G.W. Marks" was apparently a similar apparatus used by some German publishers. Brahms even produced a couple of things under that one in his youth.