Sibelius for Windows
July 10, 1998
Sibelius, the world's most advanced music notation program is showing its new Windows compatible program at Nashville on booth number 3412.
Previously only available for use with Acorn RISC computers, Sibelius Software has developed this new product for PC and has also updated and added on many more features to make this the most advanced computer system for writing music in the world.
Ben Finn, Managing Director at Sibelius explains, "Sibelius is the leading notation software in Britain and now with the new PC program musicians everywhere can benefit from its world-class performance."
Sibelius is faster than any other music notation program
With speeds far faster than other music notation programs Sibelius instantaneously updates and reformats even the most complex score in just a fraction of a second, it also saves hours of time by doing hundreds of musical chores automatically, such as checking that rhythms add up and applying complex music engraving rules to ensure notes and other markings are optimally placed. Sibelius even allows users to customize the program and create their own new features using the easy-to-learn ManuScript language.
Sibelius is easier to use than any other music notation program
Sibelius is not only lightning fast in execution, but it is also remarkably easy to learn. The program was written by two composers, who designed it for musicians - not computer experts. Sibelius works very much like a word processor. Music can be input from any MIDI keyboard, or notes and symbols are placed on the screen using a computer's mouse and keyboard. Music notation is constantly updated and displayed on the screen exactly as it will print out - there is no need to change modes or waste time moving through different windows.
Many users become familiar so quickly with the intuitive software, that they produce huge amounts of music in their first few days - even with no previous computer experience.
The software's open architecture design also allows the option of adding feature 'plug-ins' to the program as they are released. Among the free plug-ins included with Sibelius are music scanning and features to check for mistakes such as parallel fifths and octaves.
Sibelius has become the industry standard in Britain, where it was first introduced in 1993.
Current customers include the film composers Lalo Schrifin (Mission Impossible and Dirty Harry), Trevor Jones, (GI Jane and Cliffhanger), BBC, choral composer John Rutter, Faber Music, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, and the Royal Academy of Music.
Sibelius' products handle music of all kinds and complexities, from keyboard and vocal music to modern orchestral works with over 100 instruments and graphic scores.
Unlike other programs, Sibelius does not slow down with long or complex scores. Screen redraw time is only 0.1 seconds, whether you are updating a single sheet or a 1000-page orchestral score. For example, you can add a bar to the start of a two-hour film score or a complex piece of music such as Wagner's complete Ring Cycle - requiring massive reorganisation of every page - and Sibelius will update the work in just a fraction of a second.
"As a composer, I am aware first hand that time is critical. An idea will strike while working and the thought may pass if it cannot be captured quickly. We designed Sibelius to enable anyone creating music to focus on their music without the distraction of waiting for screen redraws, Sibelius allows musicians their maximum creativity, with instant results - without the cumbersome job of pencil and paper or the frustration of slow computer programs,'' continued Finn.
Sibelius' publishing capabilities are second to none. Music publishers have extremely stringent graphical specifications to which scores for publication must conform. Sibelius is one of only a few systems that satisfy the requirements of music publishers. The program offers remarkable formatting options, all at lightning speed. All page formats can be instantly changed, including the paper size, page shape or size of the staves. All markings stay correctly attached to their notes, and lines such as slurs and hairpins stretch or contract to suit the new layout.
Sibelius is the only professional scorewriter that is fully Internet-compatible. It allows users to publish their scores on websites, so anyone can view, play, transpose or print the scores from a web browser - even if they don't have Sibelius.
Sibelius's 'Espressivo' playback feature uses artificial intelligence to produce a lifelike performance straight from a score - the program reads all standard markings such as dynamics, articulation and text, and adds its own phrasing and interpretation as well. Sibelius also has sophisticated sequencing facilities: its unique 'Flexi-time' feature lets the user play music in from a MIDI keyboard to a metronome, and the tick automatically speeds up or slows down to keep in time with the user's tempo. Visit Sibelius Software's web site at www.sibelius.com. | 
