fartycat
Member
Last weekend I purchased Volume 1 and 2 of The Orchestra Musician's CD-ROM library.
Being a percussionist I plumped for the Timpani/percussion volumes but there are also volumes out there for trumpet and low brass.
The idea is simple yet in my opinion ingenious. You get a CD Rom for your money that contains lots (and lots) of orchestral parts. They are in PDF format (Acrobat Reader is included on the CD) and you simply slot the CD into your computer and you are able to print any part off.
In my case this is invaluable if your band decides to play an old arrangement of an overture that has those dreadful bass drum and snare parts!
What you get for your money (in my case I bought on ebay for £11.48 per volume!) is staggering
Volume one contains:
BEETHOVEN
Nine symphonies, piano concertos, the violin concerto, overtures
SCHUBERT
Eight symphonies and the Fierrabras and Rosamunde overtures
MENDELSSOHN
Fine symphonies, piano concertos, the violin concerto, Elijah, Hebrides Overture, Midsummer Night's Dream Overture and Incidental Music, and Roy Blas Overture
BERLIOZ
Symphonie Fantastique, the Benvento Cellini and Roman Carnival overtures, the large choral works and more
WEBER
Symphony No.1, the Clarinet Concerto, the Euryanthe, Der Freischutz, and Oberon overtures, and Invitation to the Dance
ROSSINI
Eight major overtures
Also includes works by AUBER, DONIZETTI, BELLINI, CHERUBINI
Complete contents
Volume 2 gets you:
Debussy - La Mer, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Printemps + eight more)
Mahler Symphones 1-9, Kindertotenlieder Das Klagende Lied + four more
Bruckner Symphonies 1-9, Te Deum
Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals, Danse Macabre, Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor + three more
Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor, Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 & 2, Symphonic Dances, Holberg Suite
Bizet Carmen Suite No. 1 & 2, L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1 & 2 + one more
and works by Fauré, Bruch, Busoni and Reger.
Complete contents
Postage from America was quick (faster than some UK stores at 4 days!) and cost just over £3!
The CD Rom works with both PC's and Apples. And the documentation states that the music is in the public domain allowing you to print and use as many copies as you like (so long as you don't sell or hire them out).
Drawbacks:
Some of the parts included (some of the Berlioz and Rossini overtures) came with percussion parts missing but most have the complete set (ie for Mahler 2 you get Timps 1 & 2, offstage timp, offstage band and all the onstage perc - the complete works).
I do not know whether it is my printer (or indeed my eyes :lol: ) but some of the parts appear a little out of focus when printed off. They are legible though - we road tested the Saint-Seans parts last night under fairly poor lighting and they were fine.
Conclusion
This is a very cheap way of getting a big collection of orchestral parts - far more than the usual repertoire books will ever give you. It is very very useful for anyone who wants to learn the repertoire, musicians studying at college or anyone preparing for auditions.
Each part is complete (no missing bars rests) and is scanned off original orchestral parts.
For under £30, I now have a library of over 150 orchestral percussion parts - can't be bad.
Visit ScorePerfect's Ebay store for more info.
Being a percussionist I plumped for the Timpani/percussion volumes but there are also volumes out there for trumpet and low brass.
The idea is simple yet in my opinion ingenious. You get a CD Rom for your money that contains lots (and lots) of orchestral parts. They are in PDF format (Acrobat Reader is included on the CD) and you simply slot the CD into your computer and you are able to print any part off.
In my case this is invaluable if your band decides to play an old arrangement of an overture that has those dreadful bass drum and snare parts!
What you get for your money (in my case I bought on ebay for £11.48 per volume!) is staggering
Volume one contains:
BEETHOVEN
Nine symphonies, piano concertos, the violin concerto, overtures
SCHUBERT
Eight symphonies and the Fierrabras and Rosamunde overtures
MENDELSSOHN
Fine symphonies, piano concertos, the violin concerto, Elijah, Hebrides Overture, Midsummer Night's Dream Overture and Incidental Music, and Roy Blas Overture
BERLIOZ
Symphonie Fantastique, the Benvento Cellini and Roman Carnival overtures, the large choral works and more
WEBER
Symphony No.1, the Clarinet Concerto, the Euryanthe, Der Freischutz, and Oberon overtures, and Invitation to the Dance
ROSSINI
Eight major overtures
Also includes works by AUBER, DONIZETTI, BELLINI, CHERUBINI
Complete contents
Volume 2 gets you:
Debussy - La Mer, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Printemps + eight more)
Mahler Symphones 1-9, Kindertotenlieder Das Klagende Lied + four more
Bruckner Symphonies 1-9, Te Deum
Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals, Danse Macabre, Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor + three more
Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor, Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 & 2, Symphonic Dances, Holberg Suite
Bizet Carmen Suite No. 1 & 2, L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1 & 2 + one more
and works by Fauré, Bruch, Busoni and Reger.
Complete contents
Postage from America was quick (faster than some UK stores at 4 days!) and cost just over £3!
The CD Rom works with both PC's and Apples. And the documentation states that the music is in the public domain allowing you to print and use as many copies as you like (so long as you don't sell or hire them out).
Drawbacks:
Some of the parts included (some of the Berlioz and Rossini overtures) came with percussion parts missing but most have the complete set (ie for Mahler 2 you get Timps 1 & 2, offstage timp, offstage band and all the onstage perc - the complete works).
I do not know whether it is my printer (or indeed my eyes :lol: ) but some of the parts appear a little out of focus when printed off. They are legible though - we road tested the Saint-Seans parts last night under fairly poor lighting and they were fine.
Conclusion
This is a very cheap way of getting a big collection of orchestral parts - far more than the usual repertoire books will ever give you. It is very very useful for anyone who wants to learn the repertoire, musicians studying at college or anyone preparing for auditions.
Each part is complete (no missing bars rests) and is scanned off original orchestral parts.
For under £30, I now have a library of over 150 orchestral percussion parts - can't be bad.
Visit ScorePerfect's Ebay store for more info.
