Some time back, some Forum members mentioned the existence of scores of some of Franz Lachner's symphonies in the archives of the British Library. However, I've forgotten the procedure for ordering copies, so could someone please take me through the process and perhaps give me an idea of how much it is likely to cost me.
You find it here
http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/41D4IFX8JPINS321UH7D688XSGLJXBHKCKYU645DT2JQNGEDRT-08393?func=file&file_name=find-b&local_base=blac (http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/41D4IFX8JPINS321UH7D688XSGLJXBHKCKYU645DT2JQNGEDRT-08393?func=file&file_name=find-b&local_base=blac)
Order it here
https://forms.bl.uk/imaging/index.aspx (https://forms.bl.uk/imaging/index.aspx)
Forgot prices:
http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/atyourdesk/imaging/prices/remote.html (http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/atyourdesk/imaging/prices/remote.html)
As we speak I am doing some orders, so please shout if you need help.
Thal
Just a little bit of advice John, I always ask for A3 paper copies. There is no difference in the price and A4 might look very cramped for a symphony.
I would not even dream of asking for any digitalised images as they are not very good at it. If you want anything digitalised, order the A3 copies and i will happily do it for you.
Thal
Quote from: thalbergmad on Sunday 24 October 2010, 23:25
I would not even dream of asking for any digitalised images as they are not very good at it.
Maybe they should borrow U Rochester/Sibley or Munich/BSB's fine scanning techs. ... right, then again, I could wish they'd start taking that wonderful collection of theirs and start putting some of it online for free as those (and certain other) libraries do too. If wishes were fishes- again sorry about tangent.
There is more chance of the coalition reducing the foreign aid budget than that happening.
Thal
Many thanks, Thal & Eschiss, for all your help. I seem to remember, on a previous thread, that it was much cheaper to get scores from them on CD or DVD. However, from what you have said now, it would seem that "cheap" must be equated with "nasty".
I've just been looking at their price list. Am I right in assuming that they charge something between around £30 and £50 per page? If so, I shall definitely need to win the National Lottery before I can proceed further! ::)
John, some of the prices are that expensive if you want high quality digital images. For scores, paper copies will suffice, so you can have 1 - 100 pages for £30.
Thal
Thal, forgive me for being a bit thick in my old age, but does that mean £30 a page or up to 100 pages for £30 altogether?
£30 is the minimum charge and will be sufficient for anything between 1 to 100 pages as long as the scores you require share the same shelfmark. This is why i try to restrict my orders to the British Library to larger scores as a 7 page score will cost you the same as a 77 page score.
If you wanted 4 scores totalling 90 pages and all had the same shelfmark, the cost would be £30, but if the shelfmarks were all different, it would be £120 and so on.
I am probably not explaining this very well.
Thal
Many thanks Thal, I get the idea now. No doubt the shelf marks refer to where the originals are situated in the library.
Its certainly very re-assuring to know that I wouldn't have to pay around £30 per page! I've now provisionally registered with them, so that I can quote a reader's number when I access their catalogue. I shall need to get what I want from them before January, when my temporary registration runs out and the VAT goes up! Once again, many thanks for all your help.
Quote from: John H White on Tuesday 26 October 2010, 08:00
Many thanks Thal, I get the idea now. No doubt the shelf marks refer to where the originals are situated in the library.
Its certainly very re-assuring to know that I wouldn't have to pay around £30 per page! I've now provisionally registered with them, so that I can quote a reader's number when I access their catalogue. I shall need to get what I want from them before January, when my temporary registration runs out and the VAT goes up! Once again, many thanks for all your help.
Shelf mark information can also be found in the British Library online catalog (http://catalogue.bl.uk (http://catalogue.bl.uk)) toward the end of a listing - so the first thing to turn up under Moscheles (a Kistner score of op111) has shelf marks Film Box MUS1323 DSC and Wf85/1738 DSC .
Eric
Quote from: John H White on Tuesday 26 October 2010, 08:00
I shall need to get what I want from them before January, when my temporary registration runs out and the VAT goes up! Once again, many thanks for all your help.
I have never registered myself and it is not a requirement to be able to order copies from them. I used to be a member many years ago, but that has long expired.
Happy hunting.
Thal
I've now taken a chance and ordered the set of parts for Lachner's 6th symphony on A3 as you suggested and am just hoping my credit card will stand it! Thanks very much, Thal, for all your help.
Quote from: John H White on Wednesday 27 October 2010, 15:40
I've now taken a chance and ordered the set of parts for Lachner's 6th symphony on A3 as you suggested and am just hoping my credit card will stand it! Thanks very much, Thal, for all your help.
Erf. Anticipatory envy! (Alas even if you
wanted to spend the time and effort over a scanner, you probably would be forbidden by agreement with them, to redistribute any digital or other copy of the parts you might make... it would fill a gap at IMSLP so very nicely. Grmbl. Maybe some library will scan it in sometime and Sibley will post it- or something.)
Quote from: John H White on Wednesday 27 October 2010, 15:40
I've now taken a chance and ordered the set of parts for Lachner's 6th symphony on A3 as you suggested and am just hoping my credit card will stand it! Thanks very much, Thal, for all your help.
Every month, I just send all of my wages to the British Library and Travis & Emery and they let me know when I have run out >:(
Sadly, after 4 years, my own project for all of the BL's uncopyrighted works for Piano & Orchestra is due to finish in about March 2011. Then, the invasion of Europe will begin.
Thal
John, just remember that the "shelfmark" will often be unique to a particular work (unless it refers to a volume in which a number of smaller works - like piano pieces - are all bound together). This is why you can't order a score of, say, 25 pages + one of 70 pages and pay only £30. The shelfmarks will be different so BL will sting you £30 for each. And this is a public resource paid for by the taxpayer!!!
Thanks for that tip Gareth. I hope that sticking to one large work from one composer will avoid that particular pitfall.
By the way, I still haven't heard any more from them since I placed my order with them a couple of days ago. I'm now a bit worried that my credit card is going to end up loaded down with a £90 or even a £120 plus postage bill and how I'm going to explain away that huge parcel of A3 copies when it arrives to my wife! :)
You should get an immediate e mail confirmation of your order, but they always send the invoice through the post, anything up to 3 weeks later. That is when you find out the damage, unless you have already worked out the shelf marks/pages.
About a month after your order you will get a rather strong plastic bag with goodies enclosed.
Thal
Its now around 8 working days since I ordered that music and I still haven't heard a dickie from them. I don't even know how much the whole thing is going to cost me. Are they usually this slow?
To be honest, yes.
When I placed my latest order, they seem to have slightly changed things a little. I had to pay them £1 on my credit card and they would debit the rest when they had worked out the cost!!!! Sounds pretty horrific.
I think the longest turnaround I had was 6 weeks which is still better than my order with the BNP (Lisbon Library) which took 13 months.
Thal
Many thanks Thall. Of course, I should have re-read the last couple of posts before I sent off my message! :-[
However, I think they might have acknowledged my £1 deposit---- or did their reply finish up in my spam can? :)
It is a shame what you require is not available at any other UK library.
The service at Glasgow/Oxford/Cambridge/Senate House etc is superb.
Thal
I still haven't heard a thing about my October order with the British Library for the parts of Lachner's 6th symphony, although I regularly get up dates about their library facilities etc. I'm wondering if they ever got my request.
That is absurd. I have also not heard anything about my complaint when they only copied the first two movements of a Wilms Concerto. My first e mail was 13th December.
Don't know about you John, but I am going to ring them tomorrow.
Thal
PS. From work of course
Sadly I can't ring them from work, since I've been retired for nearly 25 years. I wonder if its still possible to reverse the charges? ;D