Klarinet Archive - Posting 000699.txt from 2003/05
From: Dan Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Neue Mozart Ausgabe
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 18:09:03 -0400
Prior to 1956, there had been two attempts to published the complete
works of Mozart. One began in the early part of the 19th century and
ran out of money after about 100 fascicles. A second began in 1875 and
finished in 1905. It was a very good edition for the times and contained
the bulk of Mozart's music known to exist at that point. The editors
were the best that Breitkopf & Hartel could get. For example, Johannes
Brahms edited the Requiem, Gustav Notebohn edited the wind serenades,
and Joseph Joachim edited the violin concerti. Even Koechel edited a
few works, but this is problematic because he was not a trained musician
but rather a botanist.
Impetus came for a more serious edition beginning around 1948. The 2nd
world war had caused a lot of grief in the musicological world and
manuscripts were all over the map. Finally, beginning in 1956 (the
200th anniversary of Mozart's birth), a new complete edition based on
the best sources (something that was not really done in 1875) was begun.
Generally one or two editors were assigned 5 or 6 works and given as
long as 15-20 years to produce an edition (score only), a critical
commentary, and, if lucky, a set of performance parts, but this could
take a quarter century at times. I, along with Neal Zaslaw, was asked
to do the volume of the four wind serenades K. 375 (for both sextet and
octet), K. 388, the Gran Partitta, K. 361, and the Adagio for 5
clarinets, K. 411, for a total of 5 works plus some additional efforts
on fragmentary pieces, sketches, etc., and which included what used to
be called "The English Horn Adagio" but which is really for clarinet and
three basset horns. Beautiful piece, but incomplete.
I began my personal study of most of these work around 1959 and Zaslaw
joined me in the production of the book around 1970. The manuscripts
were submitted to the publisher (Bärenreiter) in 1977 and the volume
appeared in 1979. Performance parts appeared around 1998 and a critical
commentary (not done but Zaslaw and me) in 2001. So, in my case, from
start to finish it took more than 40 years of work. I consider it the
most important thing I ever did in my life.
The words "Neue Mozart Ausgabe" mean "New Mozart Edition." It is
effectively finished with the final major work, Cosi fan Tutte, coming
out in 1991, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Mozart's death.
Some miscellaneous volumes have come out since that time and there are a
few more to come before the offices of the NMA are closed down in 2006,
which is the 250th anniverary of Mozart's death.
Don't expect another complete edition for some time. The first volumes
that came out in 1956 cost about $20. The later ones cost $300-$400.
If it were to be done again, the costs would be 10 times higher now.
That is the 10,000 foot view. You owe me a pizza.
Dan Leeson
Tim Roberts wrote:
> I have seen several references to Neue Mozart Ausgabe on this list, and
> although I know from past reading that our own Dan Leeson participated in it in
> some way, and I can guess that it is some kind of research effort, I know
> little else about it. The website seems to be most useful to German-speakers,
> a class to which I do not belong.
>
> Can someone give me a 10,000 foot view? What is the Neue Mozart Ausgabe? Who
> is it? Was it a one-time thing, or is it an ongoing project?
>
> --
> - Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
> Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/
>
>
--
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**Dan Leeson **
**leeson0@-----.net **
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Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/
