Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 in Full Score

These are the standard musical clefs in use today whenever the musical notes are extended far above the standard 5 bar staff. To save the musicians eyes, and nerves, rather than have the notes printed with an unending series of bar marks underneath them so that they no longer become readable, the composer uses the shorthand method of moving the notations downward in an easily learned symbol of clefs that make reading music easy and fun for the player, but have no effect on which notes are to be played.

I say keep up with the clefs. It makes life easier. For the above reviewer -- go back to class and study up on musical clef signs. I much perfer them over the alternative.


A word of warning   September 2, 2000
 7 out of 12 found this review helpful

Like all Dover scores, these are in general excellent and very good value. However, the Ninth Symphony's vocal parts are notated using tenor, alto and soprano clefs (this is a reproduction of an edition published some time in the nineteenth century), so if like me you're not fluent at reading these somewhat antiquated clefs you're going to have problems with the last movement of the Ninth.


Trustworthy and economical   June 19, 2000
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

This accessible and comprehensive edition of Beethoven's late symphonies is trusted by professional and student conductors as well as orchestral players interested in seeing the ways in which their parts fit into the whole.

Easy-to-read, clear printing with helpful (never overwhelming) notes on discrepancies within the music, choral text for the Ninth Symphony.