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Hi all,


About composing and copyrights...

I would like to play a personal version of Requiem's Mozart. There are a lot of versions through centuries and specially from 20th cenetury composers. For the Agnus Dei, I would like to make a remake based on Süssmayr and Levin, like Dutron did, but for the last "dona eis" I would like to make a small mixture and finish those 20 bars with Duncan Druce's version.

For questions of copyright I am paying the rights of interpretation of that last minute, even considering that the composer is not alive anymore.

Is this possible and "legal"?


Thanks.

Hello,

In this case, there are separate copyright terms you need to consider here.

harpsi wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 6:43 pm For the Agnus Dei, I would like to make a remake based on Süssmayr and Levin, like Dutron did [...]

Franz Xaver Süssmayr died in 1803, and since his completion of the Requiem was first published in 1800, it is in the public domain worldwide.

On the other hand, Robert Levin is still alive, and so all of his works (unless permission has been given) are still under copyright worldwide. If you were to base your work on Levin's completion, you would have to seek permission from him or the publisher of the completion first.

harpsi wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 6:43 pm [...] but for the last "dona eis" I would like to make a small mixture and finish those 20 bars with Duncan Druce's version.

For questions of copyright I am paying the rights of interpretation of that last minute, even considering that the composer is not alive anymore.

Duncan Druce died in 2015, and so his works are still copyrighted worldwide. They will only enter the public domain in 2086 in Canada and the EU (under current laws).

Could you clarify what you mean by "paying the rights of interpretation of that last minute"?

So, in conclusion, your version of the Requiem is not legal, unless you have received permission from Levin (or his publisher) and Druce's heirs (or publisher).

Hope that helps!