Michael Edwards wrote, in part: > This leads me to wonder whether a publisher > would impose their method in this (whether > the old or new one) on any music they > published, overriding what the composer > wrote. > > Perhaps some composers don't care a lot, as > long as the result is clear, and might be > inconsistent in their manuscripts, and thus > need editing. But even if a composer clearly > expressed the wish that his or her manuscript's > style be kept, and that was consistent and > clear, would the publisher then respect that - > or still insist on their house style?
Not long ago a composer submitted a piece, for an a=unaccompanied solo wind instrument, to me to consider for publication. The composer specified that he wanted the published piece to appear just as he had sent it to me. He wanted the music itself printed on two facing pages, so there would be no page turns, even though this meant more than a dozen staves per page -- far too dense for easy readability. He also wanted it comb-bound, with a clear cover, heavy back page, and the color picture that he specified on the title page, showing through the clear cover -- all for only two sheets of paper between the covers. I didn't accept the piece for publication, because he would have been unhappy its appearance (by standard black & white covers, no comb binding for so few pages, etc.). Publishing it the way he wanted would have meant pricing the piece about three times as high as it should have been. My own opinion is that composers and arrangers (of which I am one) should leave the engraving and printing details to the publisher, unless there are specific details which will directly impact the performance of the music. If the composer or arranger wants it differently, then he/she should self-publish. Then they'll find out how much time marketing takes away from composing and arranging. Jim O'Briant Bayside Music Press Gilroy, CA 95020 http://www.baysidemusicpress.com _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
