Landscape

[Mr_Incognito]

I was wondering about the usage of landscape layout, which is shunned by most of the librarians. Obviously, it is understandable why would conductors feel uneasy about large landscape scores, as there would be need for two music stands, page turns (although less in number) becoming large gestures on its own etc.

However, I see often some advantage using these for chamber music (unconducted) as some scores feel more naturally for the reader.

[Fred G. Unn]

It's reasonably common for jazz scores. 11x17 landscape is of course unusable as it's too unwieldy, but 11x14 I use often. "Classical" conductors tend to hate landscape though. I was Gunther Schuller's copyist at the end of his career and once made the suggestion that a piece of his would be more efficiently laid out as landscape. The suggestion was not taken well, LOL.

[RMK]

GS was such a pleasant person to work for...

He was usually right, though. One of the only composers I worked for who understood how to lay out a part (William Schuman was the other one).

[John Ruggero]

Interesting about Schuller. You'd think that "Third Stream" would look so nice in a landscape.

[HaraldS]

Orchestra librarian here.

The vast majority of classical scores is, of course, in portrait. That makes sense for large ensembles with 20+ staves. For smaller ensembles, landscape could indeed be used, but seldomly is. In my (symphonic orchestra) library, I would estimate the amount of landscape scores to 3-5%.

I do lead two big bands as well, where it's exactly the opposite - landscape is standard, portrait scores are very rare.

I think it boils down to what you are used to, and conductors of classical music like here in Germany are almost exclusively used to portrait scores. We use B4 size whenever we print them ourselves.