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|  | The Complete Edition of the works of Rheinberger
Website of the Rheinberger-Edition
The Complete Edition
The Rheinberger Complete Edition, initiated by the director of the Rheinberger-Archiv
in Vaduz, Harald Wanger, and by Günter Graulich in 1987, laid the foundation
for the increasing popularity which Rheinberger’s works are enjoying in the
international world of music. The Rheinberger Complete Edition is published
under the auspices of the Principality of Liechtenstein.
Rheinberger himself did relatively little to publicize his compositions. In
many cases it was due to the vigorous initiative of his wife that a work was
even sent to a publisher. Rheinberger did not give an opus number to every work
for which he had found a publisher, he carefully separated occasional pieces
and juvenilia from the compositions with opus numbers, as can be seen from his
handwritten catalogues of his works. In view of this decision by the composer,
the Rheinberger Complete Edition is restricted to the publication of all the
works with opus numbers. Representative works without opus numbers will appear
separately or in supplementary volumes.
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Autograph score of the Piano Trio op. 112
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek München (Mus.ms. 4584)
Facsimile edition
published at Carus
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In the case of Rheinberger the situation regarding source
material is satisfactory. The musical estate which he left at his death
survived the two world wars and most of it is preserved in two locations:
the Rheinberger-Archiv in the composer’s birthplace Vaduz, and the Staatsbibliothek
in Munich, the city in which he lived and worked from the age of 12 until
his death. The majority of his original music manuscripts are in the Munich
library, together with contemporary first editions, handwritten catalogues
of his works, his wife Fanny’s diaries, and six sketchbooks. The Complete
Edition therefore has its basis in well-preserved and, thanks to the thematic
catalogue of his compositions compiled by Hans-Josef Irmen, well-documented
sources. However, there is the problem that very little in-depth investigation
has hitherto been carried out on Rheinberger’s music, so that for almost
every edition pioneering musicological work has to be done. |
For the Complete Edition all available sources have been studied. The musical
text is based largely on the first editions which the composer himself prepared
for publication. Editorial experience of the past years has shown, however,
that Rheinberger was not a very careful proof-reader, because printed copies
of many of his works contain mistakes and inaccuracies, which have been corrected
following careful comparison with the original autographs and performance parts,
copies for engraving, and sketches. A particular editorial problem concerns
phrasing slurs, which are often to be found placed differently and unclearly
in various sources. The Critical Report in each volume gives a detailed account
of the sources and the differences between them. Editorial additions are clearly
identified in the musical text, so that decisions between different readings
can be made with reference to the detailed notes in the Critical Report.
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Information concerning each work, details of its origins and early performances
are given in the Foreword, which is printed in German, English and French.
Facsimile pages of the most important sources and a biographical account
of Rheinberger’s life complete each volume. The volumes are bound in blue
linen stamped with gold lettering; their dimensions are 26 x 33 cm.
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In order to facilitate performances, Carus-Verlag are also issuing many of
the works as separate publications, with performance material. Since 2000 the
Complete Edition is being prepared for publication by the Rheinberger
Editorial Institute at Carus-Verlag. The Institute will gladly provide further
information and a subscription brochure upon request.
Barbara Mohn
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