[LAU] GPL Scoring/Engraving Programs

[tim hall]

David Baron wrote:
> There was a thread on this a while back, the need for opensource or 
> free/minimal cost alternatives to Sibelius and such on Linux.
> 
> One can run Finale Notepad or various lower cost upgrades using Wine and this 
> may be the best alternative if one can get the MIDI and printing working this 
> way.
> 
> For lack of a handy staffbook--and it is easier to simply grab a staffbook, a 
> extra fine pen and a typex stick--I tried what I have on my Debian Sid box:
> 
> Scoring:
> 
> Notedit--KDE's scoring program will get the job done. Most functionality is 
> there. Chord entry is very awkward and the ui needs more toolbar items. But 
> it works and will export to most everything needed including abc which opens 
> the door to many Windows and Linux programs that can print score, Lilypond, 
> MusicTex and MusicML.
> 
> Canorus--successor to Notedit. Too early for this one.
> 
> Denemo--GUI for Lilypond. Too early for this one as well. Nice start but had 
> to go back to Notedit to continue.
> 
> Musescore/mscore--new boy on the block. Coming along nicely and will soon be 
> the best around. Still work to be done, text field editing is nigh-impossible 
> but this is the alternative to Finale and Sibelius to watch. Imported MusicML 
> from Noteedit.
> 
> MIDI keyboard to any of these is precarious at best.
> 
> For printing (engraving when doing music):
> 
> Lilypond--works well with its peculiarities. Not enough control of formatting 
> when exporting from noteedit, et al. Denemo not ready so need to know its 
> markup language to really use it well. It is supposed to be the standard.
> 
> MusixTex--works nearly as well as Lilypond but does not handle UTF8, foreign 
> characters out of the box.
> 
> Musescore--one when sets the formatting parameters (not defaulted properly) 
> produces very nice results. Its scoring is WYSIWYG once the formatting params 
> are set up. Again, the one to watch.

I find this all slightly depressing. I thought Rosegarden / Lilypond 
ought to be the tools for the job, but the message I keep hearing is 
that they don't come up to the standards required for professionally 
printed music. I wish somebody could properly explain why.

I've been commissioned to write a book of choral music, which requires 
multivoice staves, so obviously Rosegarden will fail there. I shall have 
to let them do the setting in Sibelius unless I can come up with some 
solid arguments to the contrary.

It just seems ludicrous to me that we have all this incredible 
multimedia software at our disposal, but every time someone wants to 
typeset music we have to consider going back to proprietary tools like 
Finale / Score / Sibelius. This is terribly disappointing.

Please say it isn't so. ;)

cheers,

tim
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