Format of editions offered by the Archive

Supply format and item description

All items, including handwritten and computer-set editions, out-of-print publications, copyists’ manuscripts and the composer’s autograph manuscripts are issued on paper as duplex (double-sided) photocopies, enlarged where practicable to aid legibility and ring-bound in hard card covers unless otherwise specified or requested; alternatively, all items may be supplied electronically in .pdf format.

Publications currently in print are identified in the catalogue as “Publication”, and issued as supplied by the publisher.

Please note that original out-of-print publications are not included in this catalogue.

All item descriptions refer to the entire work as named, unless different editions/formats contain only part of a work, in which cases the part concerned will be identified and priced separately.

“Miniature Score” refers to a large orchestral score reproduced in A3 Portrait format in cases where A4 Portrait format would be barely legible; in such cases, “Full Score” refers to such a score reproduced in A2 Portrait format. Where no “Miniature Score” is shown, “Full Score” refers to an orchestral score reproduced in A3 Portrait format.

No manuscript parts for any orchestral or chamber works are known to have been produced by Sorabji.

Editions

Editions other than those described as “Publication” are either typeset or in the editor’s hand.

Some out-of-print publications have also been annotated and corrected by editors and are accordingly described as “Corrected Copy Publication”.

Items described as “Critical Edition” include historical and other background material in addition to substantial and detailed editorial commentary.

Some text has been touched-up and pagination or repagination added or corrected by editors.

Text translations

Charles Hopkins’s English translations of all the original French song texts are included where appropriate.

Copy quality

Master copies of all items supplied in paper form have been prepared by The Sorabji Archive; most were created from original autograph manuscripts, out-of-print publications and new editions but a few have had to be made from paper copies of microfilms of autograph manuscripts of varying age and quality.

All paper copies supplied are prepared in-house to order. Copy quality is the highest achievable from the originals using the archive’s analogue monochrome photocopier which, whilst it served us well over the years, has since been replaced with an equivalent digital copier upon which all paper copies are made for distribution.

Marginal loss of clarity of blue-grey feint printed stave lines (at times very faint) has occasionally been unavoidable, particularly in the reproduction of post-1975 scores; a few minor background blemishes and ink bleeding were evident in the original paper at the time some of the master copies were made.

A guide to the catalogue

Durations are given in minutes; those of works yet to be performed are allotted estimates.

The format of each edition gives paper size and orientation, where P means Portrait and L means Landscape.

Each work has been given a work number. The existence of a few works has been discovered since the original numberings were made; amendments have accordingly been implemented. It seems unlikely that many more Sorabji works remain to be unearthed, so The Sorabji Archive hopes not to be involved in any further renumbering exercises.

The price (paper) shows the amount in pounds sterling (GBP) payable for each item including packing and ordinary mailing within UK only; prices remain valid until further notice. Surcharges for guaranteed, express or other special mailing and shipping services and for all orders to be shipped outside UK are quoted on request. In the interests of our valued customers we no longer ship items by sea mail due to adverse past experience; it may in some cases appear somewhat more economical, but we have also found it to be very unreliable. Most of our prices have remained unchanged since the Archive’s foundation, despite increases in costs of materials and shipping.

The price (pdf) shows the amount in pounds sterling (GBP) payable for each item as an uploaded pdf file; we have offered this service since June 2012 as an alternative to paper copies for anyone who prefers to receive items in this format.