WVD Press was founded in 1994 by William V. Dorwart, who has for many years been a pit cellist for musical theater productions, most notably with The Rose Valley Chorus and Orchestra.  Out of frustration with the errors and illegibility of the Kalmus orchestral parts for the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas came the inspiration to create new editions of all these shows.

WVD Press scores, published by a musician, are very player-friendly:

• Page turns are placed at convenient spots.
• Numerous cues are included, both so that players do not have to count long series of tacet measures, and so that missing solo instruments may be covered by others.
• Scores are performance tested before being released.
• All copies are produced directly on a high definition laser printer (no Xeroxes).
• Scores can be custom-modified, whether for key changes, alternate endings, alternate text/ translations, or for whatever other special request the customer may have.
• Conductor's scores are available in two formats:  one with the vocal lines at the top, and one with the vocal lines in their traditional place above the strings.
• The trumpet parts are supplied both in the original A and B flat, and transposed entirely into B flat for players who are not comfortable transposing while they play. For some shows clarinet parts transposed into B flat are available; for others the transposition can be done for a fee.

The following Gilbert & Sullivan shows have been completed:

• The Gondoliers
• HMS Pinafore
• Iolanthe (now available with two different orchestrations including the original one)
  
• The Mikado
• Patience (now available with two different orchestrations including the original one)
  
• Pirates of Penzance
• Princess Ida
• Ruddigore (includes orchestration of the original 2nd-Act finale and Away Remorse)
• Sorcerer
• Trial by Jury
• Yeomen of the Guard (an orchestration of A Laughing Boy may be added for an extra fee)

• The Zoo (music by Sullivan, lyrics by B. C. Stephenson)
• A Gilbert and Sullivan Christmas Carol (music by Sullivan, lyrics by Gayden Wren) A charming combination of the Dickens story with Sullivan's music.  Two versions are available; one requiring an hour to perform, and the other about an hour and a half.
• The Merry Widow (Franz Lehar) The WVD Press edition (with a different translation of the lyrics) has been used by the Metropolitan Opera for 26 performances over three seasons.  The available translations are by Quade Winter, Martin Crimp, Greg Opelka, and Sheldon Harnick. Also available is a full score in the original German or a score with no lyrics or dialogue for those who wish to use a different translation or language. Two reduced orchestrations for Merry Widow are available. Each reduction has its own full score. The first eliminates one oboe, two horns, and one trombone, assigning their notes to other instruments. The second eliminates the second bassoon in addition to the oboe, two horns, and one trombone. Because most productions do not use the Njegus Aria from Act III it is not included with the standard score and parts. Anyone wanting to use it must specifically order it.
  
• Gypsy Baron (Johann Strauss, Jr.) Full score & parts.  The full score is available with English translation by Henrik Ege or Quade Winter.  The score is also availble with no text for those who wish to insert their own translation. A German language version is now available.
  
• Aida (Guiseppe Verde) String parts have been prepared in a joint project with the Metropolitan Opera and the Chicago Lyric Opera. 
• Naughty Marietta (Victor Herbert) A new edition has been prepared in cooperation with the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project.  Source material included a copy of the original score in Herbert's own hand. The new edition was premiered by the Little Orchestra Society In Alice Tulley Hall in the Lincoln Center on March 8, 2006. The full score and piano/vocal score are available in three variations- with updated dialog created by Alyce Mott of the Renaissance Project, with no dialog for users who prefer to adapt their own from the original libretto, or with the original libretto.
  
• Yours is My Heart Alone (Franz Lehar, from The Land of Smiles) Full score, parts, and piano/vocal score available in C Major, D flat Major, or D Major, with English and German lyrics.
•  Fledermaus. A new edition has been prepared for the Metropolitan Opera. There are two orchestrations- the original one and a reduced one. The reduced orchestration eliminates two horns, one trombone, one bassoon, and one oboe from the original orchestration. The full score is available with English translations by Quade Winter or Garson Kanin and Howard Dietz, the original German libretto, or with no text for those who wish to insert their own.
  
• Cyrano de Bergerac (Victor Herbert) A new edition has been prepared in co-operation with the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project. The original libretto for this work was lost. The VHRP has written a new one to go with the surviving music. This show, along with performign rights, must be ordered through the VHRP at www.vherbert.com.
  

• Prices for Gilbert and Sullivan range from $100 to $275 for a full score. A set of parts (strings 3,3,2,1,1) $150 to $450 when printed in 10X13 inch format.
  
• For The Merry Widow a full score is $375. A set of parts (strings 4,4,3,2,1) is 725. For the reduced orchestration a full score is $375 and a set of parts (strings 3,3,2,1,1) is $625..
  
• For Gypsy Baron a full score is $600. A set of parts (strings 4,4,3,2,1) is $1200.
• Payment is by check (cheque) only in US dollars. Unfortunately, WVD Press does not accept credit cards.
• Prices are for sale only.  WVD Press does not rent parts.
•  For Naughty Marietta a full score is $500, a set of parts (strings 4,4,3,2,1) is $900 and a piano vocal score is $40.
<>For Fledermaus a full score is $575 for either orchestration. For the full orchestration a set of parts (strings 4,4,3,2,1) is $1150. For the reduced orchestration (strings 3,3,2,1,1) a set of parts is $950.

New (and non-musical) from WVD Press: By Bonnie Brice Dorwart, M.D. "Carson's Materia Medica of 1851: An Annotation". Published 2005. A description of medications available during the American Civil War. It details conditions treated with these drugs and how they worked in diseases. 110 pages. Price $30 plus shipping. Also Death is in the Breeze, a study of non-surgical medicine during the American Civl War, available from amazon.com.

A sampling of the many Gilbert and Sullivan and other links on the Web

Gilbert and Sullivan Archive
The Rose Valley Chorus and Orchestra, Media, PA
eqwinter@gmail.com To contact Quade Winter about his translations of Merry Widow, Gypsy Baron, and Fledermaus
www.vherbert.com For Victor Herbert works.