The transcription catalogue of Vienna Percussion Editions functions both as performable repertoire and as analytical study material.
Detailed notation enables close examination of timing, articulation, sound production, and phrasing, with a particular focus on the playing approaches of Gary Burton and Makoto Ozone.
The goal is to make recorded performances legible in notation without sacrificing musical clarity or playability.
Milt Jackson
as played by
Gary Burton & Makoto Ozone
Antonio Carlos Jobim
as played by
Gary Burton
Thelonious Monk
as played by
Gary Burton & Makoto Ozone
Makoto Ozone
as played by
Gary Burton & Makoto Ozone
Mongo Santamaria
as played by
Gary Burton & Makoto Ozone
Transcription is approached as a precise editorial process grounded in close listening and detailed analysis of recorded performances.
Recorded performances often contain musical information that cannot be captured through conventional notation alone — such as micro-timing, layered rhythmic feels, resonance behaviour, or subtle shifts between time and freedom.
The editorial approach of Vienna Percussion Editions aims to make these aspects readable without overloading the score. Musical decisions are clarified where they shape the character of the performance, while unnecessary complexity is avoided.
Each transcription is carefully revised for playability and musical logic, ensuring that the score functions both as a reliable performance edition and as a means of studying musical detail.
Audio examples use computer-generated sound derived directly from the notation.
Obvious inconsistencies in the original recording are addressed where musically necessary. The original material remains visible, ensuring transparency of editorial decisions.
Complex harmonic layers are notated in a way that preserves their vertical clarity while remaining readable in performance.
Sections with independent rhythmic layers are notated to clearly distinguish strict time from freely floating material.
Deliberate shifts between laid-back phrasing and strict time are clearly indicated, allowing performers to reproduce subtle timing nuances without ambiguity.
The formal architecture of each piece is clearly indicated, supporting orientation within extended forms.
Sticking and damping indications for vibraphone are provided where they are either clearly derived from the source or musically essential.
The aim is not to enforce fixed solutions, but to clarify sound-related decisions that influence articulation, resonance, and phrasing.
