# Public Domain Classical Recordings?



## brianvds

I am looking for recordings of classical music that are in the public domain. One fairly useful source I found was at https://musopen.org/. Any others that anyone is aware of?


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## classical yorkist

Lots of stuff on http://www.baroquemusic.org/ there's also a similar one for harpsichord music that I can't find at the moment.


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## eugeneonagain

There are loads at the internet archive (archive.org), but the searching is probably more random, though they do have 'collections'.


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## SixFootScowl

Another site that has free music, presumably public domain (they have some language about it being creative commons) is www.ClassicCat.com


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## Johnnie Burgess

Here is another site: http://www.rediscovery.us/index.html


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## brianvds

Thanks for all the recommendations - I'll go check them out.


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## Bettina

IMSLP has links to public domain recordings as well as scores. http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Recordings


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## tortkis

The Open Goldberg Variations
http://www.opengoldbergvariations.org/
_"The Open Goldberg Variations (Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 988), played by Kimiko Ishizaka on a Bösendorfer 290 Imperial piano, are free to download and share. They are governed by the Creative Commons Zero license, which means that they are a part of the public domain, and every use of them is allowed."_

The Open Well-Tempered Clavier
https://www.welltemperedclavier.org/


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## brianvds

Thanks, Bettina and tortkis, for the further suggestions.


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## classical yorkist

That amazing harpsichord resource I promised 
http://www.saladelcembalo.org/index.htm


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## eugeneonagain

classical yorkist said:


> That amazing harpsichord resource I promised
> http://www.saladelcembalo.org/index.htm


It is amazing. I was just listening to the Scarlatti sonatas (a complete edition) and one by J.C. Bach.


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## SixFootScowl

Free downloads of the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach, recorded by Dr. James Kibbie on original baroque organs in Germany, are offered on this site.


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## Larkenfield

Florestan said:


> Free downloads of the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach, recorded by Dr. James Kibbie on original baroque organs in Germany, are offered on this site.


These are free downloads but they are not public domain recordings that anyone can use for their own purposes. They are copyright by the University of Michigan. These are tremendous performances and I've heard them all. But they can only be used by permission.


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## SixFootScowl

Larkenfield said:


> These are free downloads but they are not public domain recordings that anyone can use for their own purposes. They are copyright by the University of Michigan. These are tremendous performances and I've heard them all. But they can only be used by permission.


So maybe not public domain (and I took the OP's request loosely enough that as long as the music was legally free, it would interest him), but I am not seeing a permissions note unless it is in one of the links. It says free downloads, what more does one need to partake of them? I suspect they don't want people burning disks and selling them, but otherwise I see no prohibition to freely downloading and listening.


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## brianvds

Florestan said:


> So maybe not public domain (and I took the OP's request loosely enough that as long as the music was legally free, it would interest him), but I am not seeing a permissions note unless it is in one of the links. It says free downloads, what more does one need to partake of them? I suspect they don't want people burning disks and selling them, but otherwise I see no prohibition to freely downloading and listening.


Actually, I do have plans on using the music for what might possibly be construed as semi-commercial purposes, so public domain it will have to be... 

But thanks again to all who have replied with suggestions, because I also like just listening.


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