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Music, scores and listening

A musical work, a score edition and a recording are different objects even when they share a title.

Getting started

Search composer, title and instrumentation; compare the score edition with the recording version you want to study.

Before deciding

Check rights in your country and for each file. An old work does not make every edition or performance freely reusable.

Choose a source and keep useful references

Compare resources

IMSLP helps locate scores and editions; Europeana extends to musical objects held by different institutions. Compare the kind of object you need first.

Prepare your research

Record composer, title, instrumentation, publisher, identifier and edition rights. For listening, add performer and recording reference.

Practical questions

Why do scores with the same title differ?

Compare instrumentation, publisher, date, arrangement and version number. Open sample pages to check the part you need; a piano reduction and an orchestral score serve different purposes despite sharing a title.

Do a work's rights cover a recording?

Examine the work, edition and recording separately, including the licence for the object you will use. Do not extend a score's rights statement to an audio file; seek confirmation if your use is unclear.

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