Klarinet Archive - Posting 000086.txt from 2008/10

From: "K S" <krsmav@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] [Re] Is there a market for this???
Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:42:20 -0400

Dan -

You know, probably better than anyone, the difficulties of scholarly
publishing.

On the up side, a book on K. 361, from someone with your reputation
and expertise, would be an automatic order for music libraries and
Mozart scholars. Certainly the Mozart Jahrbuch issue with your
article is difficult to find (I know -- I've tried), and an organized
collection of materials would be useful to scholars and
historically-informed performers. Also, it would be a good crowning
summation of your work on an important Mozart composition that has
been one of your central interests over many years.

On the down side, it's not likely to have many sales outside the
scholarly and performing communities. The question is always whether
the sure sales can cover the cost of publication, particularly with
color photos. Back during my days in publishing, the publisher had to
pay up front the costs of editing and printing, plus the time value of
money to store the extra copies and fulfill the inevitably small
orders. Thus a book like yours wouldn't be profitable and could have
been put out only by, say, a university press prepared to absorb the
inevitable loss.

The situation today is different. Self-publishing and print-to-order
are now viable, as are order fulfillment sites like AuthorHouse and CD
Baby. You're in the best position to know, since you have already
published similar books on the Requiem and the Mozart Cache. A book
on K. 361 would do at least as well (or as poorly) as those.

Personally, I would welcome, and probably buy, your K. 361 book. The
publication will bring joy to the clarinet and scholarly communities.
Also the oboe, bassoon, horn and double bass communities (and maybe
even, to your horror, the contrabassoon community).

I can't say I've listened to (or played) K. 361 800 times, but I'm
probably close to 400. It's one of those masterpieces that only
Mozart could write, that stay fresh even after infinite repetition. I
can listen to The Nutcracker with pleasure only about once a year, but
K. 361 (or Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) is amazing any time.

Keep up your great work.

Ken Shaw

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