Time Schedule:
George S Bozarth
MUHST 497
Seattle Campus
Topics vary each quarter. Prerequisite: 2.0 in MUHST 210; 2.0 in MUSIC 303; 2.0 in MUSIC 306.
Class description
Editing Music
...Henle Urtext...Wiener Urtext...old Schirmer and Peters editions...Dover reprints... old and new Collected Editiohs...
What is a musician to do?!?!
The musician wishing to study and perform a composition is nowadays confronted with a bewildering array of editions, and even cursory comparison often reveals readings differing radically from edition to edition.
So which edition presents the "real" Bach, the "real" Mozart, the "real" Beethoven and Brahms? How did these various editions come about? On what original sources were they based and by whom were they prepared? How were they influenced by the aesthetics of their times? How do "performance" and "critical" editions differ, and are these two editorial philosopies irreconcilable? What is the purpose of those "critical notes" that accompany "scholarly" editions? Can there ever be a truly Urtext edition?
These are some of the questions and issues we shall explore in this "senior/graduate seminar.".
By comparing editions directly with the composer's manuscripts and early editions, and by examining the editorial philosophies and procedures that have lead to editions of works in a variety of repertories, we shall attempt to determine the logic (or lack thereof) behind editorial decisions and to assess the quality of the resulting publications.
We will also take on various class and individual projects, to create our own editions of several works.
Music students at the undergraduate and graduate levels and non-majors with musical background are welcome to this seminar.
Student learning goals
How to assess the quality of an edition of music
Basic principals of editing a piece of music for publication
General method of instruction
Lectures, class discussions, and "hands-on" editorial projects
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
Reading, listening, preparation for class discussions, individual reports.
Assigned editorial projects
