It's a shame!
Recently, the Russians have published the Napoleonic era original scores of the "Janissary" marches as contained in the Imperial Russian Collection of Army Marches (destined for the Guards, in the first instance), started c.1809/10 by Anton Doerfeldt, the musical director and instructor of the bands of the Russian Imperial Guard regiments under Alexander I and during the early years of Nikolai I.
However, these books are hardly offered for sale in the western world and, even worse, the few who do offer them want to sell them at such a high price…it really hurts.
Hopefully, the Russians, at least, will produce a few CDs based on these scores and play the pieces on contemporary (or good copies of contemporary) instruments – and make the CDs available to everyone – worldwide – at a fair price. Because, so far, they haven't produced anything but dozens of CDs presenting completely anachronistic arrangements of old marches played on modern instruments. I just can't hear that stuff anymore…(must admit, however, that the vast majority of western bands who do offer "Napoleonic" music are no better).
Here are the links to the publications I'm referring to (the books including the scores):
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…and an accompanying book apparently containing a lot of information on Russian military bands and the music they played during the Napoleonic era:
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paints the Dogman from the Flintloque starter set.
