Russian Life & People Digest
Question by jdiko33: Which pieces, if any, of Shostakovich are in the public domain?
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Answer by Tinpanallycat
Considering that he DIED in 1975, that means the newest work he could have written is now 35 years old, so I would gusee most of his works, especially the earlier ones, whoud be in the Public Domain
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goldstarvw says
Good rule of thumb for figuring out if something is in the public domain- anything published before 1923 is in the public domain. There are a few exceptions. And here is one BIG thing to remember….
Back in the day, during the Cold War, the US did not honor Russian copyrights. So any music by a Russian composer, anyone could buy. When the Cold War ended, the GATT treaty came into being which had the US recognize copyright of Russia. This is why you can't buy most Stravinsky, Shostakovich, etc. orchestral works anymore.
A great publication put out by the Major Orchestra Librarian Assoc. (a organization of professional orchestra, opera, and ballet librarians from around the world) is called "The Music We Perform" and deals with rights, royalties, rentals, etc. You will find in there a section on US copyright and specificially the GATT treaty. Hope that helps a little.
http://www.mola-inc.org/