F. Melius Christiansen

For MUSIC REQUESTS and QUESTIONS about availability, including Copyright issues
Post Reply

Have you ever performed a piece by F. Melius Christiansen?

Poll ended at 02 May 2007 01:05

Yes
1
20%
No
4
80%
 
Total votes: 5

tpandeco
Posts: 2
Joined: 02 Apr 2007 00:09
Location: Arizona, USA

F. Melius Christiansen

Post by tpandeco »

How long after composition, publication, composer's death do the composer's works become public domain?

My midwestern heart is sad that F. Melius Christiansen does not yet have a page, regardless of whether his work is yet public domain (I don't know how to make one). If his music is public domain, what is the process for finding the public domain original to digitize? I can find copyrighted editions everywhere, but I know I can't use them to make a public domain digital copy.
mjolnir
Moderator
Posts: 254
Joined: 12 Sep 2005 14:39

Re: F. Melius Christiansen

Post by mjolnir »

Works by Christiansen published prior to 1923, and copyright in the U.S., are in the public domain in the U.S.; works published subsequent to 1923 but prior to about 1937 might be in the public domain if the copyright was not renewed. Copyright on works published after 1923, and properly renewed will be in force until 2018, unless the term is extended.

A large part of Chistiansen's works were published by Augsburg Publishing House (now Augsburg Fortress), and I know that A/F has returned a number of rights in recent years, so that there is a good chance that Christiansen's heirs or executors how have the rights to his publication; it may be that if one contacts them (perhaps by contacting the copyrights and permissions department of Augsburg Fortress, and requesting the name of the current administrators of the copyright,) that they might grant permission to place works of Christiansen on the CPDL site.

As to Christiansen not having a page, I invite you to prepare one....

ns
tpandeco
Posts: 2
Joined: 02 Apr 2007 00:09
Location: Arizona, USA

Thanks, and...

Post by tpandeco »

Now the question in response: can I copy and paste the Wikipedia entry to CPDL if I site the same sources the Wikipedia entry sited?

Also, I e-mailed Augsburg Fortress regarding the copyright holders. They have not yet responded, but according to their catalog two pieces (Beautiful Savior and Praise to the Lord) were released in 1920. I must use the original octavos to create a public domain edition?

Sorry about the uncertainty about everything, but while I love using things others have made available on CPDL, I am totally new to posting stuff onto the website.
mjolnir
Moderator
Posts: 254
Joined: 12 Sep 2005 14:39

Re: F. Melius Christiansen

Post by mjolnir »

Well it is possible to do this, and I don't know of any specific policy against it. Further consensus has not been reached, (at least not so far as I am aware) where the best place for material on composers like Christiansen should be posted, and how much duplication there should be between CPDL and WIKI. The WIKI entry is rather bare-bones itself, so one reasonable course, at least to me, is to do some research and first improve the WIKI article, copy certain essential items to the CPDL website, and use InterWIKI linking to point from one item to the other.

If I have an Octavo with a 1920 copyright date, I can (in my opinion as a lay person who has informed himself on certain aspects of the copyright law in the U.S. by reading, and relative bits of additional sources) use that as a source for preparing and edition for CPDL, even though the copy may be from a later issue. The only way it would be necessary to have the original copy, is if you were working from a copy with a later copyright that was edited by a different editor, or a revised edition with a later copyright date.

ns
Post Reply