Masterseminar

Beethoven’s Missa solemnis

Dr. Iris Eggenschwiler
Autumn semester 2022/23
7th lesson, 11th January
Semester exercise
• Read an essay or book or part of a book about an aspect of the Missa
solemnis (length: at least 10 pages).
• Write a review about it.
• Cite the text correctly (set footnotes where required).
• Length: 1–2 pages, at least 3000 characters incl. blanks.
• Everyone chooses a different text. Reserve your text here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rk7KHTRmsaYq0oK7A7OMdhKvUtb0s4uqu1Vz9UP3V-
g/edit
• Deadline: 6th March 2023
What is a review?
• A review gives an overview and evaluation of a text the reader doesn’t
know.

• It contains:
• the author’s research questions or goals
• the author’s methods: how does (s)he answer the research question?
• the structure of the text
• the author’s argumentation and results/conclusions
• an evaluation of the text: it’s strengths and weaknesses

• Example: Marston, Nicholas: “Beethoven: ‘Missa solemnis’ by William

Drabkin” (Review), in: Music & Letters 73 (1992), p. 603–604 (PAUL).
Musically notated sources
Musically notated sources
By musical function: By appearance: By creative function:
• Score • Print • Sketch
• Part • Manuscript • Draft
• Part-books • Copy • Clear Copy
• (Piano) reduction • Print
• Short score • Copy
(Particell) • Edition
Examples
https://www.beethoven.de/de/media/view/4674357553004544/scan/61
https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht/?PPN=PPN851003044
https://www.beethoven.de/en/media/view/6566615722229760/scan/273
https://www.beethoven.de/en/media/view/5443113212444672/scan/118
Critical Edition
• Goal: reconstruction of the/a original musical text.
• The editor evaluates all the musically notated sources of a work and
picks/chooses a main source.
• The editor compares the main source with the other sources. If (s)he
chooses a variant from another source than the main source, (s)he notes it
in the critical commentary or critical report (“Kritischer Bericht”).
Sometimes, important readings (“Lesarten”) of the other sources are also
documented.

A Critical Edition differs from a normal edition by the description of all

known sources, its evaluation and the critical commentary.
Critical edition vs. “Urtext”
• “Urtext” is not a clear defined term.
In case of the Missa solemnis, which source transmits the Urtext?
In works with several versions (“Fassungen”), which is the Urtext? Example:
Bruckner symphonies.
• “Urtext”-Editions often do have a critical commentary, but it often is
less detailed.
• “Urtext” is mainly a term of marketing.
Beethoven
Gesamtausgabe
• The most important critical
edition of Beethoven’s
works!!

• Beethoven Werke.
Gesamtausgabe, ed. By
Beethoven-Archiv Bonn,
series I–XIII,
München/Duisburg 1961ff.
Critical edition: content
• History of the work
• Main principles of the edition (“On the edition”)
• Musical text (score)
• Critical commentary / critical report
• Description of the sources: Quellenbeschreibung
• Evaluation of the sources (which is the main source): Quellenbewertung
• Critical notes (“textkritische Anmerkungen”) or readings
(“Lesartenverzeichnis”)

• Example: Missa solemnis

Description of the sources
• Lists all known sources
• Tells the location of the sources (Libraries, archives etc.) including
shelf mark (“Signatur”)
• Describes the sources: Appearance and function (autograph, copy,
print, score, parts, piano reduction etc.), exact title if any, date, paper
size, watermark, name of the copyist …

• A detailed source description is also found in the catalogue of works!

Evaluation of the sources
• Which is the chronological order of the sources, and which source
depends from which?
• Which sources are more important, which less?
• Which main source was picked, and why?
Stemma
Main sources
Readings / Lesarten
Interpretive editions
• Other term: Performance edition
• Conveys the editor’s personal opinions on how to perform a work
• Educational (“teacher – student”)
• To achieve his/her goals, the editor may add to or even change the
musical text.
• Historical correctness is less important

• Normally, you should not play from interpretive editions.

Nonetheless, they are interesting sources about the performance
practice of the 19th or 20th century.
Example

• Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonate Op. 110. As dur für das

Pianoforte, ed. by Hans von Bülow (Instruktive
Ausgabe klassischer Klavierwerke, series III, vol. 5),
Stuttgart/Berlin: Cotta, 1891.
• Part of a series of interpretive editions by the Cotta
publishing house, published from 1869.
• Contains all piano works of Beethoven and other
composers from J. S. Bach to Felix Mendelssohn
Bartholdy.
 Bülow

Beethoven Werke
[…]
 Bülow

Beethoven Werke
How to find musically notated sources
• Répertoire International des Sources Musicales RISM
http://opac.rism.info
• Hofmeister Catalogue: Editions between 1829 and 1900
Musikalisch-literarischer Monatsbericht über neue Musikalien, musikalische
Schriften und Abbildungen, Leipzig 1829ff.
http://hofmeister.rhul.ac.uk
How to cite musical editions
• Always mention the editor.
• Always mention the series, especially for complete editions.

• Examples:
• Beethoven, Ludwig van: Missa solemnis, ed. by Norbert Gertsch (Beethoven
Werke VIII, vol. 3), Munich: Henle, 2000.
• Beethoven, Ludwig van: Klaviersonate As-Dur op. 110, in: Ludwig van
Beethoven, Klaviersonaten, vol. 2, ed. by Hans Schmidt (Beethoven Werke VII,
vol. 3), Henle, 1976.
• Beethoven, Ludwig van: Sonate in As-Dur für Klavier op. 110, ed. by Jonathan
Del Mar, Kassel et al.: Bärenreiter, 2019.
Music engraving
https://www.henle.de/en/about-us/music-engraving/
Review and Outlook
You now know…
• the difference between scientific and non-scientific texts
• the most important encyclopedias of music
• the relevant musicological databases, especially RILM
• the difference between sources (primary sources) and literature
(secondary sources)
• the different types of literature (secondary sources)
• the different types of musically notated sources and editions
• the principles of a critical edition
You now are able to…
• formulate a research question
• find scientific publication on a specific topic
• find these publications online or in the MIZ (library) or to order them
from another library
• read scientific texts critically
• cite them correctly (footnotes, citation style)
• pick the right musical editions for your purposes
• are able to write a review on a scientific text
Goals for the 2nd semester
• To learn how to deal with verbal and auditive sources
• To find a topic and research question for the master thesis

• Presentations of your ideas

• Definitive proposal for the master thesis by the end of the semester
Semester exercise
• Read an essay or book or part of a book about an aspect of the Missa
solemnis (length: at least 10 pages).
• Write a review about it.
• Cite the text correctly (set footnotes where required).
• Length: 1–2 pages, at least 3000 characters incl. blanks.
• Everyone chooses a different text. Reserve your text here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rk7KHTRmsaYq0oK7A7OMdhKvUtb0s4uqu1Vz9UP3V-
g/edit
• Deadline: 6th March 2023
DON’T FORGET: CONCERT and LECTURE LIST

The list must cover the following genres:

• 5 lectures
• 15 concerts you have listened to, including
• 3 operas
• 3 symphonic concerts
• 9 freely chosen

https://intern.zhdk.ch/?118348 > Konzert- und Vortragsliste