Whats the Status of OpenScore as of 2024?
Hello!
I recently came across OpenScore, an open-source initiative for the digitization of many works in the public domain.
Website: https://openscore.cc/
Musescore Page: https://musescore.com/OpenScore
All of the info on them from what I've seen has been from 2017-18. Their most recent MuseScore contribution was in 2022. I was wondering if anyone had any updated info on the status of the project.
Thanks so much and have a great day!
Comments
There have been several separate OpenScore initiatives over the years. All of their published scores are available as Public Domain material (free to download, print, arrange, or perform).
The original OpenScore project was launched by @shoogle and aimed to transcribe some major classical works that were sponsored by subscribers to the early Kickstarter project:
https://musescore.com/OpenScore
Then in 2018 the OpenScore Lieder Corpus was started by Dr Mark Gotham. By the end of 2021 the project had transcribed over 1,300 songs, available in these composer sets:
https://musescore.com/openscore-lieder-corpus/sets
The Lieder transcription project is currently dormant, but its Public Domain content is of course still available for download.
In 2021 the OpenScore String Quartets project was started by some of the people who had worked on the OpenScore Lieder project. This String Quartets project is still active three years later and is run by @ashmoggs.
This is the page for volunteer transcribers of string quartets:
https://musescore.com/groups/openscore-string-quartets
... and this is the list of composer sets where you can browse and download completed transcriptions of string quartets:
https://musescore.com/openscore-string-quartets/sets
I must mention the OpenScore Braille project. I think that this initiative was started by @mike320 back in 2019, but become dormant. Happily Marc Sabatella stepped in as the new admin in December 2023. Here is the link:
https://musescore.com/groups/openscore-braille/discuss/5230153
[EDIT]
In progress: in April 2024 Dr Mark Gotham picked up the OpenScore transcriptions of Bruckner's Symphony No.5. Mark will be arranging peer reviews of those sections which were transcribed in 2019 but were never reviewed and corrected. More news in due course.
In reply to There have been several… by DanielR
P.S. Thanks for this post
In reply to There have been several… by DanielR
Thank you so much! Very helpful response.
So the original OpenScore project for large-scale classical works is no longer active?
I was thinking about contributing new scores with the help of OMR technology (something like this: https://github.com/BreezeWhite/oemer)
Is there any forum or group for this? Again thank you for your help.
In reply to Thank you so much! Very… by James Garrick
"So the original OpenScore project for large-scale classical works is no longer active?"
I'm not sure, so I would prefer that you get a reply direct from @shoogle (Peter Jonas) who is the project owner.
"I was thinking about contributing new scores with the help of OMR technology"
There's nothing to prevent that, provided you can find an OpenScore transcription group which is active. As a transcriber for the OpenScore Lieder project in 2018 I used OMR almost exclusively to capture the 20 songs of Hugo Wolf's "Eichendorff-Lieder":
https://musescore.com/user/27638568/sets/5013942
"Is there any forum or group for this?"
Currently I think that the OpenScore String Quartets (OSQ) group is the only opportunity to submit transcriptions for target works. See the transcriber web page mentioned in my first reply, where there should also be a link to their Telegram channel for discussion about notation problems. You could also message @ashmoggs through MuseScore's messaging system: https://musescore.com/user/27968710
In reply to Thank you so much! Very… by James Garrick
Yes, OMR has been used by some transcribers who contribute to the OpenScore String Quartets project. We find that there is usually quite a bit of editing needed, but it is still quicker than manual transcription. It is also only possible if the source score is clean, clear and does not have too much 'busy-ness' eg multiple articulation directions. If you are interested in joining, please make contact either with me or with OSQ direct.