Klarinet Archive - Posting 000055.txt from 2009/04

From: "Clinton F. Nieweg" <proofferr@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Orchestra parts Errata - "The reprint rumor letter"
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:57:02 -0400


<From: "Edward Branham" Believe it or don't ....=0APublishers often INTENTI=
ONALLY place a few 'errors' for copyright protection purposes. Some other =
publication containing their 'signature error' has illegally copied their w=
ork ...=0A------=0A=0AI would be interested in seeing an example of this ru=
mor in different publications. With many years of experience proofing orche=
stra music I have not yet found this to be true, so=0Awith the help of libr=
arians, conductors and publishers I wrote this letter in 1990:=0A=0AThe fal=
lacious rumor that reprint houses deliberately =E2=80=9Cadd a few easily co=
rrectable mistakes to their editions so that they can renew the copyright=
=E2=80=9D has been around for as long as these houses have existed. The mu=
sic that Kalmus, Luck=E2=80=99s, Broude, and Dover print is exclusively in =
the public domain on unedited titles. In-so-far as copyright is concerned,=
Kalmus does not claim copyrights for its reprints that are unedited.=0A =
=0AThe main reason for the printed errors in reprint house parts is that th=
e original publishers (especially the French and Russian ones) produced eng=
ravings full of mistakes. Kalmus simply reprints these engravings, with th=
e mistakes, articulation, ornamentation, etc. as is.=0AWhile they do use th=
e best copy that can be found, the fact remains that the reprint copy will =
only be as error-free as the plate from which it was created. Thus it can =
be assumed for any Kalmus publication that unless the catalog lists an edit=
or=E2=80=99s name, Kalmus has made no changes to the music.=0A =0AThe chang=
es that Kalmus does make to various works are in the interest of improvemen=
t. Editor-in-Chief Clark McAlister is heavily involved in the production o=
f the Kalmus =E2=80=9CCorrected Editions=E2=80=9D, a process that is extrem=
ely expensive and time consuming. Original proofing to re-engraving to prod=
uction can take up to four years for just one piece. (*Please note that not=
all Corrected Editions are Critical Editions: for a Critical Edition, the =
editor must have access to the facsimile of the composer=E2=80=99s manuscri=
pts, or preferably, the original manuscripts.) =0A=0AIn terms of specific =
publishers, Dover scores contain on the whole the greatest number of errors=
, as they are reprints of original uncorrected European publications. Luck=
=E2=80=99s buys much of its music directly from Kalmus, and like its suppli=
er, does some improvement to the parts. Broude publishes its collection of=
titles on good paper, but the music is again often uncorrected unless impr=
ovements have been made.=0A =0AConsequently, if Kalmus were to deliberately=
sabotage its own music, another reprint house could simply put out a bette=
r edition and make more sales. It is in the best interest of all reprint h=
ouses to produce the best parts possible.=0A=0AMany Kalmus titles have had =
the original publishers errors corrected and are the standard orchestra par=
ts used by the Major Orchestras worldwide. Titles that are in the U. S. pub=
lic domain can be found at http://www.kalmus-music.com =0A=0AWritten by Cl=
inton F. Nieweg with the advice of other librarians, conductors, performers=
and publishers - 1990.=0A=0A=0A~ Proof Purr-fect Research ~=0AClinton F. =
Nieweg=0APhiladelphia Orchestra Principal Librarian (Ret.)=0A(Research for =
Conductors, Librarians, Performers)=0Aproofferr (at) yahoo (dot) com=0A=0AC=
o-founder: =0AMOLA (for Librarians of larger performing groups) www.Mola-i=
nc.org=0AOLI Yahoo group (for Librarians of regional and community orchestr=
as)=0Ahttp://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/OrchLibInfo/ =0A=0A=0A=0A=0A =

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