What do folks use the IMSLP for?

[gardano]

Hey all,
I'm curious what people are using the scores from IMSLP for. I'm thinking along the lines of:
1) Discovering/Exploring music that's new to you
2) Sight-reading
3) Alternative to purchasing scores
4) Prefer editions at IMSLP
5) Reading along while listening to a recording
6) Collecting scores in general
7) Research

.... any of these ring a bell, or other things that you've put the treasure trove that is IMSLP to good use?

[Philidor]

IMSLP & The Alexander String Quartet

[noqu]

A typical scenario for me is to browse through a score where I only have the parts (I am playing clarinet in an amateur orchestra). It often helps me to get an idea how my part relates to what the rest of the orchestra does at those funny places where I never seem to get it right . Wouldn't bother to buy a score just for that, but it is nice to have it.

[haydenmuhl]

I perform with a group that puts on a concert once a month. We each prepare our own music on our own time, and I often pull music off IMSLP for these performances. Last month I did used a Bizet song from IMSLP, and the month before that some Italian music.

Lately I've been toying with the idea of dipping my toe into Russian rep for the first time, and it's great to be able to browse all the Russian song literature from my room.

[steltz]

1) Exploration of new music.
2) Annual music camp for high school students -- we don't know until a couple of weeks beforehand the final participants, and IMSLP has been invaluable for finding unusual combinations, or collecting works without violas (always in short supply!), or works where I can use Eb horn parts for alto sax players, or just for downloading and seeing if a work is too easy/too challenging -- things you can't do if you don't have time to order music, or need to look at it before buying.
3) Orchestral parts for a university Orchestral Studies course -- the students download their own library of auditon works.
4) On one occasion one of the university oboists forgot her music at a rehearsal, and she just went to the library and printed off another copy -- simple!!!

[edited to add] 5) A lot of autograph manuscripts are now on IMSLP, and they are invaluable for research, and also give access to music not available from the publishing industry.

[Alex Daniels]

In my case it was downloading scores and finding as many performances as I could in youtube and grooveshark. Got me through my LMus. The money I saved on scores I could spend on more history and analysis books.

[gardano]

1) Exploration of new music.
..... 2)IMSLP has been invaluable for finding unusual combinations, or collecting works without violas (always in short supply!), or works where I can use Eb horn parts for alto sax players.....

So I'd say that the category walker and/or browse by instrumentation feature of the site is a biggie for you, no?

[steltz]

So I'd say that the category walker and/or browse by instrumentation feature of the site is a biggie for you, no?

Absolutely!