WLSCM invites the submission for online publication of works that satisfy the following criteria:
- The works were composed during the period 1600 to 1700,
- No editions of those works are commercially available in print,
- No comparable editions have been posted online or published online elsewhere.
Consult the WLSCM Editor-in-Chief regarding ambiguous cases. Editions of any type of music may be submitted, from short lute and keyboard pieces to selections from (or even entire) operas and oratorios. Arrangements, such as modern guitar adaptations of seventeenth-century keyboard music, are not suitable.
The edition should consists of at least two parts, each contained in a separate file: an introduction and the edition proper (the score). The introduction should be submitted as a Microsoft Word file. The score should be submitted as a Finale (2014 or later) or a Sibelius (6 or later) file. For other formats (e.g., scanned manuscript copy), consult the Editor-in-Chief. Submit all materials in electronic form, either as e-mail attachment or through a secure file sharing service; please do not mail hard (paper) copies.
The following applies particularly to editions derived from academic dissertations or theses. Please confine the introductory matters to material directly pertinent to the edition. Discussions of the composer's life should be very brief, especially if a biography can be found in other general reference works, such as Grove (Oxford Online). While in the case of a relatlively unfamilar composer, a few major works may be mentioned, discussion should generally be limited to the music contained in the edition. Detailed analyses of works are not appropriate, and are better saved for publication eslewhere (e.g., the Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music). On the other hand, most users of the edition will welcome guidance to the performance practice applicable to the works.
Format and Style
Prospective contributors are urged to contact the Editor-in-Chief as soon as possible with any proposed editions. For the introduction and other prefatory materials (critical reports, texts and translations), follow the JSCM Style Sheet, Sections 1 through 8. Disregard all references to HTML mark-up, since WLSCM texts are published as PDF rather than as HTML files.
Note to prospective submitters: Please carefully note the following requirements for submitted editions. Editions cannot be reviewed until these requirements have been met, and failure to observe them will delay the reviewing and publication process.
- Editions should be submitted as email attachments or through a secure file sharing service.
- To preserve anonymity during the reviewing process, the name of the editor must not appear anywhere in the edition or prefatory materials. After the edition has been accepted and is prepared for publication, the editor's name will be added in the headings, copyright notices, etc.
- Both scores and introductory texts must be formatted in US letter format (8.5 x 11). In text programs such as Microsoft Word, this is handled by Page Setup in the File Menu. In Finale go to Page Layout Tool, Page Layout Menu, Page Size. In Sibelius, go to the Layout Menu, Document Setup. Use only "portrait" orientation, even for tables.
- Provide adequate margins (approximately 1 inch or 24 mm at the top and bottom is preferred) in both the edition and introductory materials, especially at the top and bottom. WLSCM will add headers and footers to every page identifying the work, composer, and editor.
- In scores, the parts ordinarily should apear in the following order: winds (woodwinds above brasses), strings, voices, continuo or basso part. Seeing the voices immediately above the continuo line often is helpful to the organist/choir director or to the person realizing the continuo. Please consult the Editor-in-Chief if for appropriate reasons a different order is preferred.
- The introduction and/or score should clarify which elements of the edition reflect the source and which are editorial changes or additions. The introduction must list the source(s) that formed the basis of the edition, including the library (including RISM sigla) and call number, or the name of the original publisher and place and date of publication. The introduction should provide a description of editorial procedures (changes of clefs, handling of accidentals, beaming, corrections, etc.).
- For the introductory materials please use standard fonts, such as New Roman Times, and do not use columns.
- Use footnotes rather than endnotes, and carefully format all citations as specified in the JSCM Style Sheet.
- Pay careful attention to note spacing. Make sure that it is comparatively even, and neither too narrow nor too wide, so as to provide an attractive appearance to the reader/performer. In particular, for sections with measures of three whole notes or half notes (tempus perfectum or prolatio major) the spacing should not be appreciably wider than would be encountered in 3/4 or 6/8 meter.
- Ordinarily a single file should be submitted for the score of each composition (cantata, sonata, suite, etc.). Do not divide a work into several files, unless it contains exceptionally long movements (please consult the Editor-in-Chief).
- Reviewers often ask to see the source, or, at least, a few sample pages. If available, it would be helpful to include those when submitting the edition.
- Title pages are optional. WLSCM will provide an index page in standard format for the entire edition.
Recordings
If available, recorded performances can be submitted, along with the editions or after publication. If of acceptable quality, they will be posted as streaming audio. For additional guidelines regarding the submission of recordings, consult the Editor-in-Chief.
Permissions and Copyrights
For publication on the WLSCM site, permissions from the owners of the sources are usually required. Similarly, for the posting of recorded performances permission must be obtained from the performers. We recommend, however, that prospective editors wait with requesting permissions until they have received confirmation of the acceptance of their edition.
The editors remain the owners of the copyright to their edition. However, they are responsible for any expenses involved in the preparation of their edition, including fees charged by institutions that own the sources.
All editions published by the Web Library of Seventeenth-Century Music are made public under a Creative Commons license. Details about Creative Commons licenses may be found on their website. The default license used by the WLSCM is an "Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs" license which "allows others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially."
For questions, contact info [at] sscm-wlscm.org
