Novak String Quartet no.3 - SWR Classic Archive

[matesic]

Here's my multitracked rendition of the first quartet. I love the first two movements but unfortunately the finale is a bit rum-ti-tum, more Russian than Czech?  IMSLP says "non-PD EU" but I think that only applies to the sheet music. It didn't flag up any copyright warnings for me anyway.

http://imslp.org/wiki/String_Quartet_No.1,_Op.22_(Nov%C3%A1k,_V%C3%ADt%C4%9Bzslav)#IMSLP498780

Less well in tune but hopefully sounding more realistic than Joshua Bell's Virtual Violin. What's next, Lang Lang's Magic Piano?

[eschiss1]

Thanks!

[Alan Howe]

Yes - thanks, Steve.

[cypressdome]

The copyright status of the Novák (d.1949) is correct for the E.U.  All of his works will be public domain in the E.U. on Jan. 1, 2020.  Copyright protection covers performance as well.  Perhaps there are no rights holders interested in enforcing that copyright protection.  I looked up the performance rights organizations for the U.K. and Germany but neither had the ability to search for composers or works for which they collect royalties.  I'd like to see the royalty checks that the heirs of Richard Strauss (d.1949) have been enjoying for the past 68 years for the performance of his works some of which were composed as long ago as the 1880s.  Lastly, add my name to the list of listeners grateful for your many performances of Romantic-era chamber music.

[matesic]

I hope cypressdome (thank you!) can clarify my confusion about the performance rights of copyright-protected works as applied to recordings. I played Nowak 1 from a legitimate Simrock edition. Obviously the act of recording the piece privately can't be illegal. Am I violating performance rights by uploading the mp3s to IMSLP (from the EU), or is IMSLP in violation by hosting them, presumably knowing where they came from? Or is it the act of downloading the files or streaming them that's illegal in the EU - not the performer's but the listener's responsibility!

[cypressdome]

While private performances are alright my understanding is that a public performance (even one in which the performers charge nothing) would be a violation of copyright.  As for the recording uploaded to IMSLP it ends up on the site's Canadian server where it is in the public domain so IMSLP is not in violation for hosting it.  As for accepting an upload from a country in which the work is still under copyright I don't know if that puts IMSLP in violation. As for you uploading a work that is still under copyright to a location in which it is in the public domain I have no idea how the law treats that.  If you have concerns I would suggest you ask Carolus over at IMSLP as he is the site's copyright expert.