|
Critical Edition
Volume XIV/5
Preparations are underway for an edition of the orchestral version of the Wunderhorn songs. In preparing the edition it was necessary to compare the original orchestral parts with the first published scores. The Weinberger editions were found in the holdings of various archives in Vienna, while the parts to the original Kahnt editions of Revelge and Tamboursg’sell were courteously provided by Peters publishing house. It turned out that the parts were in general more reliable than the scores, indicating an (undocumented) set of revisions. Preparations for the edition will be completed this year. Universal Edition will then begin the computer type-setting.
Universal Edition has also prepared a practical edition of the piano version of the Wunderhorn Lieder based on the Complete Edition. Dr. Renate Hilmar-Voit has written a revised commentary and preface for the volume which is aimed especially at performance considerations. Thomas Hampson worked with her in preparing a partially annotated translation into American English of both the texts and the German tempo and expression markings so typical of Mahler. The edition for high voice appeared in the fall of 1994; the volume for low voice will be published this coming fall.
Supplemental Volume III
Prof. Manfred Wagner-Artzt has almost completed the manuscript to the Piano Quartet. The volume is scheduled to be presented at the Frankfurt Music Fair in March 1996. After preparing the text for the Complete Edition, Universal Edition will also release a practical edition of the work, including parts; this is especially necessary, since the present edition (Sikorski) is rather flawed.
Supplemental Volume IV
The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam under Riccardo Chailly is planning a series of concerts and a recording of the three-movement version of the Das klagende Lied. Universal Edition will provide the orchestral parts, which (after the planned performances) will serve as the basis for a volume in the Complete Edition. Dr. Reinhold Kubik will begin the computer type-setting towards the end of the year. The publication could be completed in 1998.
Volume IV
A re-publication of the Fourth Symphony, a step deemed necessary by Universal Edition, will provide the opportunity for incorporating the list of errata prepared by Prof. Karl Heinz Füssl. The planned, large-scale revision, including the preparation of a new critical commentary, must, unfortunately, be put off until a later date.
"The Computer Project":
Preparing a Computer Catalogue of the Library
The acquisition of a computer now makes it possible for the International Gustav Mahler Society to process its correspondence and papers as well as to make a record of its comprehensive archival materials with the help of a data bank. In both instances, a HP laser printer provides paper copy with an excellent 300 dpi resolution.
The goal was to configure a hardware and software system that has broad compatibility and does not run the risk of near-term obsolescence while at the same time being well-established and easily serviceable. In light of these criteria, the computer purchased was an IBM-compatible PC with a 486/33 MHz processor, 8 MB RAM, and an ISA bus configuration. The 420 MB hard drive offers sufficient storage capacity for the data bank as well as manuscripts and texts. The software products -- WORD 6.0 (word processing) and ACCESS 1.1 (data bank application) -- run under WINDOWS 3.1. These programs, authored by the worldwide market leader MICROSOFT, operate with a graphic user interface, are fully supported, and can be updated or combined with any number of products should the need arise.
Bringing the library on line began already in the fall of 1994. In addition to the usual bibliographic information, the reader can refer to such categories as “Comments” and “Keywords” when searching for written sources. By the end of the year the catalogue contained 250 items.
Publications
As every year, the Society published two issues of the News about Mahler Research (Nos. 31 and 32) in German and in English. The newly expanded format should make it possible to include more brief research reports and articles.
Archive and Library
The archive and library were, as always, open every Monday and Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm and were used by researchers, dissertation students, and Mahler enthusiasts from Austria and abroad.
The Society assisted, among others, Mr. Gilbert E. Kaplan in providing materials for his Mahler Album and made archival documents available to the conductor Pierre Dominque Ponnelle for a performance of the Tenth Symphony.
In memoriam
On 6 October 1994 the clarinetist, conductor, and composer Eric Simon died at the age of 87. Though living in the US he always remained tied to his homeland Austria and was one of the first musicians to join the Society. He played a leading role in the “Gustav Mahler Society of America” which was formed already in 1958 and whose honorary president was Alma Mahler-Werfel. Eric Simon established the contact between our Society and the owners of Mahler manuscripts in the US and thus assisted in acquiring important microfilms and photocopies for our archive.
The Society has lost an old and true friend.
Society member Prof. Dr. Erwin Ringel died on 28 July 1994 in Austria. Mahler research is indebted to him for his important studies of Mahler’s personality from the perspective of his area of expertise, psychoanalysis.
Our long-standing member Mrs. Eleonore Vondenhoff died on 12 December 1994 in Bad Soden am Taunus at the advanced age of 94. Her vast Mahler collection is available for use by the public at the Music Collection of the Austrian National Library in Vienna. A more thorough account of her contributions to Mahler research appears in News about Mahler Research No.33.
The Financial Situation
For the reporting year the Society received a subsidy from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research of 120,000 AS. The Cultural Office of the City of Vienna provided the Society a grant of 60,000 AS. We would like to extend our sincere thanks for this financial support through public institutions as well as for payments and contributions from our members and friends.
Vienna, June 1995 The Board
|
