IMSLP Forums

Hey, I just discovered this site and I love it!!

I was just wondering, though. From my brief browsing, it seems as though for many works (at least in the chamber music that I browsed), there are scores available for download, but no parts. I know that the site is called the IM"Score"LP, but are there plans to add parts for pieces whose scores are already up?

Anyways, I think this site is a great idea, so keep up the good work everyone!

Hi, Violist32!

I'm a fellow newcomer (though slightly less new, by the sound of it). I introduced a thread on this topic a few weeks ago. I agree that parts are a great idea, since I love to print out the music and try to play it.

Unfortunately, many of the scores are from "pocket scores" or "study scores," so the uploaders do not actually have the parts. Also, if you have a whole lot of free time and Adobe Photoshop, one alternative is to copy and paste lines from the score to make your own (in your case, viola) part. This is a huge pain, but it does make a part that is at least playable.

Also, I've noticed lately that many of the recently uploaded sonatas and concerti, as well as some trios, have individual solo parts. Hopefully, this trend will continue!

Musically the best way to learn a pieces is from the full score, but since that is quite difficult to read the next best thing has to be a piano arrangement. I know a few people who disagree with parts and a few chamber groups who also use full score.

You have much more awareness of the parts around you and thus know you cue the ever more easily, you can be aware of the harmonies and can thus be able to express the emotions suggested through harmony (and other compositional techniques) by the composer.* You can be aware of motivic development and can thus vary the quality, timbre, tempo... whatever in accordance to the amount of repetition of this motif, and indeed it emotional connotations. The benefits of playing with a Part and a small piano arrangement grossly out way the effort of turning pages slightly more often.

Not only because of the musicality of knowing the other parts and the score well, it also bring more enjoyment the more you know about the piece, even small historical elements will make it nicer.

*For example, ti-do isn't necessarily a V-I cadence, it could be V-VI or somthing else.