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Beethoven research
Complete edition
of works
Edition of
correspondence
and documents
Draft research
Residencies
Forum musical
practice
Staff

Complete edition (continuation)

The idea of producing a complete edition dates back to Beethoven himself.
More than other composers he was concerned that all of his works should be
published and free of mistakes. During his last years Beethoven increasingly
committed himself to a project to publish an authorized version of his complete
works. With Beethoven's support the Viennese publisher Haslinger had a large
collection of copies made - the so-called Rudolph collection -, which is today
held in the archive of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Plans to
publish a larger collection of works, including study scores, with a correct
musical text for the performer came up for several times, but all the projects
remained uncomplete at the time.
The "old" Beethoven complete edition, published in Leipzig by Breitkopf &
Hrtel between 1862-65 (supplemental volume 1888), was a milestone as far
as scope, desire for correctness and use for musical practice was concerned. In
spite of her historical impact the nineteenth century edition does not reflect the
modern state of research and present day demands.
The Beethoven-Archiv is the general editor of the new scholarly-critical
Complete Edition of Beethoven's works. It comprises all of his completed
output, including early versions and authentic arrangements; larger fragments
and more extensive sketches are also taken into account. The 56 volumes
intended for the complete edition are arranged according to genre. The first
volume was published in 1961 and since then, about two thirds of them have
followed.
The scholars working on the complete edition are employees at the BeethovenArchiv as well as external editors, who work in close cooperation with those in
Bonn. Their task is to deliver a scholarly edition of the musical text and to
complement it with a critical commentary, illuminating and justifying the
problems concerning the edition. Amongst the most important sources are
Beethoven's autograph scores, autograph copies by professional copyists which
Beethoven checked for accuracy, as well as original editions published during
the composer's lifetime. In addition comments Beethoven made in letters and
his correction lists are taken into account. It falls to the scholar to examine
these sources, to understand their genesis and relationship to each other and
to assess their significance. The editorial guidelines, revised in 1991 to
incorporate the experiences to date, offer insight into the working methods of
the editors and the problems encountered in the Beethoven edition.
The aim of the new complete edition, published by G. Henle Verlag, is to
document the complexity of the sources and their interdependence in a critical
apparatus and to shed light on the different editions of the work in question.
Only a scholarly-critical complete edition can offer insight into the different
versions and variant readings. Thus musicians will be provided with the
information necessary to enable them to reach decisions regarding
interpretation. In this way music research can be of service to musical practice.