copyright question on arrangements

Hi, Prokofievs Op 65 "music for children" is copyright (and blocked on IMSLP), So I bought the music and am wondering what the copyright situation would be if I arranged some of them for guitar duet. Am I allowed to publish here?

I can't tell you a 100% sure, but I think yes, you can post it here, as long as you mention your work is bassed on that Prokofiev work, nevertheless a score publisher (like schirmer, dover) may not be able to publish, but that is not going to happend in a close future right ?

NO! As long as the original is still in copyright, you cannot arrange it without breaking copyright. Simple as that.

If it's for "academic" purposes, it might fall under fair use. Chopin would have to remove it in any case if he received the unlikely cease-and-desist letter.

But for your own study? Go for it. I would consider this an academic site, whether booklearned or really learned; it would all be exercises, so just do it.

This question is definitely cleared on the website of MPA. "If an arrangement is made of a copyrighted work without the authorization of the copyright owner, the arrangement would be an unauthorized derivative work and therefore an infringement of the copyright and the exclusive right of the copyright owner. The first thing to do when you want to make an arrangement is check if the work is in the public domain or if it is protected by copyright. If the work is protected by copyright, you cannot make an arangement without the prior permission of the copyright owner."

See the original text here http://mpa.org/copyright_resource_center/faq

That's fine and dandy for the professional composer seeking to gain profit from his work.

But I think that you can very easily fly under the radar, and it'd certainly be better to just do the piece and work out later what the rules and regs are. No one came after me when I orchestrated Schoenberg. No one came after me when I played Mr. Roboto or Sugar We're Going Down Swinging in my band.

Know the law, for sure, but know when the law does not apply -- that is when no rights to copy are being infringed.