How to publish new editions of classical music?
March 11, 2006 9:59 AM Subscribe
I want to publish Mozart differently. What problems might I run into?
There are a few editions of the four mozart horn concerti, all of which have very annoying articulation markings which usually one has to write over and cross out and generally make a mess of.
I'd like to publish an edition with very few to zero articulation markings-- closer to what the original copies would have looked like. Are there any copyright laws I might have trouble with? Would I have to buy rights to the music? If so, from whom?
(I am in the states, if that makes a difference.)
There are a few editions of the four mozart horn concerti, all of which have very annoying articulation markings which usually one has to write over and cross out and generally make a mess of.
I'd like to publish an edition with very few to zero articulation markings-- closer to what the original copies would have looked like. Are there any copyright laws I might have trouble with? Would I have to buy rights to the music? If so, from whom?
(I am in the states, if that makes a difference.)
Response by poster: anathema: They were published mostly in the 20th century, an yes, they are arrangements of the originals.
posted by fireflies to stars at 10:24 AM on March 11, 2006
posted by fireflies to stars at 10:24 AM on March 11, 2006
Are there not urtext editions available? These are generally editions with very few markings, or only the markings that the composer themselves intended.
posted by Lotto at 10:34 AM on March 11, 2006
posted by Lotto at 10:34 AM on March 11, 2006
Best answer: You are free to make your own arrangements of Mozart's original works because, having been written before 1791 by definition (since that's when he died), they're all in the public domain.
However, someone else's arrangement is their own original work, like yours will be, and is protectable by copyright under the laws of the country where it was created (and by treaty in other countries, like the US). If you spent a year creating a new arrangement of a public-domain symphony, you have the right to profit from your new arrangement and restrict who has the right to copy it (the copy-right), although you can't restrict use of the original, of course.
So if you want to modify a copyrighted arrangement, you need permission or license from the copyright holder. If you want to make your own arrangement of public domain material that's not derived from copyrighted material, you're free to do so.
posted by mdeatherage at 10:54 AM on March 11, 2006
However, someone else's arrangement is their own original work, like yours will be, and is protectable by copyright under the laws of the country where it was created (and by treaty in other countries, like the US). If you spent a year creating a new arrangement of a public-domain symphony, you have the right to profit from your new arrangement and restrict who has the right to copy it (the copy-right), although you can't restrict use of the original, of course.
So if you want to modify a copyrighted arrangement, you need permission or license from the copyright holder. If you want to make your own arrangement of public domain material that's not derived from copyrighted material, you're free to do so.
posted by mdeatherage at 10:54 AM on March 11, 2006
The Mutopia project collects sheet music under open-source licenses, so that you can freely (and legally) copy, modify, and republish it. They have at least some of the Mozart horn concerti.
posted by mbrubeck at 6:32 PM on March 11, 2006
posted by mbrubeck at 6:32 PM on March 11, 2006
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posted by anathema at 10:06 AM on March 11, 2006