Neue Bach-Ausgabe
Encyclopedia
The Neue Bach-Ausgabe is the second complete edition of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach
, published by Bärenreiter
. The name is short for Johann Sebastian Bach: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke (Johann Sebastian Bach: New Edition of the Complete Works). It is a historical-critical edition (historisch-kritische Ausgabe) of Bach's complete works by the Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Institut Göttingen and the Bach-Archiv Leipzig
. It succeeded the first complete edition of Bach's music published in the second half of the nineteenth century by the Bach Gesellschaft
.
Each volume of music contains a preface and a selection of facsimile
s of its sources. For each such volume, a separate Critical Report describes all sources of a work and their interdependence, presents all reliable information about the history of a composition and discusses editorial issues. Fragments of compositions were published along with complete works.
and Leipzig
lead to the initiative to publish his complete works in a critical scientific edition. Musicologists such as Friedrich Blume
, Max Schneider, Friedrich Smend and Heinrich Besseler
, and sponsors such as Bernhard Sprengel
and Otto Benecke made the project possible, supported by the editor Karl Vötterle.
The Neue Bachgesellschaft recommended to pursue the project as a joint venture of musicologists in Göttingen, then West Germany
, and Leipzig, then East Germany, in order to stress that the common cultural heritage was undivisable. The Bach-Archiv Leipzig
and the Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Institut Göttingen collaborated, their directors Werner Neumann
and Alfred Dürr
made the new edition their life's project. In 1951 the Bärenreiter
edition in Kassel
was chosen by the Federal Government, in 1954 the new Deutscher Verlag für Musik in Leipzig became a partner in the publishing until the unification of Germany.
Initially the duration of the edition was estimated as 15 to 20 years, but the scientific work with the sources required much more time than anticipated. The first volumes appeared in 1954. The edition was completed in June 2007.
In preparation for the NBA, lost compositions were found, whereas some known compositions proved to be not Bach's works. The examination of the sources corrected the chronology of his compositions.
and others.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, published by Bärenreiter
Bärenreiter
Bärenreiter is a German classical music publishing house based in Kassel. The firm was founded by Karl Vötterle in Augsburg in 1923, and moved to Kassel in 1927, where it still maintains headquarters; it also has offices in Basel, London, New York and Prague...
. The name is short for Johann Sebastian Bach: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke (Johann Sebastian Bach: New Edition of the Complete Works). It is a historical-critical edition (historisch-kritische Ausgabe) of Bach's complete works by the Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Institut Göttingen and the Bach-Archiv Leipzig
Bach-Archiv Leipzig
The Bach-Archiv Leipzig or Bach-Archiv is the institution for the documentation and research of life and work of Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig, where Bach lived from 1723 until his death. Topic of research is also the Bach family, especially their music...
. It succeeded the first complete edition of Bach's music published in the second half of the nineteenth century by the Bach Gesellschaft
Bach Gesellschaft
The Bach-Gesellschaft was a society formed in 1850 for the express purpose of publishing the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach without editorial additions. Their collected works are known as the Bach-Gesellschaft-Ausgabe....
.
Content
The edition contains in eight series 96 Notenbände (music volumes), in addition Kritische Berichte (Critical Reports) and Supplementbände (supplementing volumes):- I. CantataBach cantataBach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
s (46 volumes) - II. MassMissa (Bach)A Missa of Johann Sebastian Bach is in general a composition of the Latin Mass by the German Baroque composer.More specifically, Missa refers to one of his four short masses in F major, A major, G minor and G major, BWV 233 to 236...
es, Passions, Oratorios (9 volumes) - III. Motets, chorales, LiedLiedis a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...
er (4 volumes) - IV. Organ works (11 volumes)
- V. Keyboard works and lute works (14 volumes)
- VI. Chamber music (5 volumes)
- VII. Orchestral works (7 volumes)
- VIII. Canons, The Musical OfferingThe Musical OfferingThe Musical Offering , BWV 1079, is a collection of canons and fugues and other pieces of music by Johann Sebastian Bach, all based on a single musical theme given to him by Frederick II of Prussia , to whom they are dedicated...
, The Art of FugueThe Art of FugueThe Art of Fugue , BWV 1080, is an incomplete work by Johann Sebastian Bach . It was most likely started at the beginning of the 1740s, if not earlier. The first known surviving version, which contained 12 fugues and 2 canons, was copied by the composer in 1745...
(2 volumes) - IX. Addenda (approximately 7 volumes)
- Supplement, Bach Documents (9 volumes)
Each volume of music contains a preface and a selection of facsimile
Facsimile
A facsimile is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of reproduction by attempting to replicate the source as accurately as possible in terms of scale,...
s of its sources. For each such volume, a separate Critical Report describes all sources of a work and their interdependence, presents all reliable information about the history of a composition and discusses editorial issues. Fragments of compositions were published along with complete works.
History
The celebrations in 1950 of the bicentennial of Bach's death in GöttingenGöttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
and Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
lead to the initiative to publish his complete works in a critical scientific edition. Musicologists such as Friedrich Blume
Friedrich Blume
Friedrich Blume was professor of Musicology in Kiel University from 1938-1958. He was a student in Munich, Berlin and Leipzig, and taught in the last two of these for some years before being called to the chair in Kiel. His early studies were on Lutheran church music, including several books on...
, Max Schneider, Friedrich Smend and Heinrich Besseler
Heinrich Besseler
Heinrich Besseler was a German musicologist born in Hörde, Germany. He is particularly known for his colossal work, Die Musik des Mittelalters und der Renaissance , which provided a new perspective on historical musicology by taking a history-of-ideas approach to music history.-Life:Besseler...
, and sponsors such as Bernhard Sprengel
Bernhard Sprengel
Dr Bernhard Sprengel was a German chocolate manufacturer and modern art collector.Sprengel studied at the Goethe school, and later took courses in political science. In May 1919 he became one of the first new members of the Corps Holsatia following the First World War...
and Otto Benecke made the project possible, supported by the editor Karl Vötterle.
The Neue Bachgesellschaft recommended to pursue the project as a joint venture of musicologists in Göttingen, then West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, and Leipzig, then East Germany, in order to stress that the common cultural heritage was undivisable. The Bach-Archiv Leipzig
Bach-Archiv Leipzig
The Bach-Archiv Leipzig or Bach-Archiv is the institution for the documentation and research of life and work of Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig, where Bach lived from 1723 until his death. Topic of research is also the Bach family, especially their music...
and the Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Institut Göttingen collaborated, their directors Werner Neumann
Werner Neumann
Werner Neumann was a German musicologist. He founded the Bach-Archiv Leipzig on 20 November 1950 and was a principal editor of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe, the second edition of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach.- Professional career :Neumann studied at the Conservatory of Leipzig from 1928 to...
and Alfred Dürr
Alfred Dürr
Alfred Dürr was a German musicologist. He was a principal editor of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe, the second edition of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach.- Professional career :...
made the new edition their life's project. In 1951 the Bärenreiter
Bärenreiter
Bärenreiter is a German classical music publishing house based in Kassel. The firm was founded by Karl Vötterle in Augsburg in 1923, and moved to Kassel in 1927, where it still maintains headquarters; it also has offices in Basel, London, New York and Prague...
edition in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
was chosen by the Federal Government, in 1954 the new Deutscher Verlag für Musik in Leipzig became a partner in the publishing until the unification of Germany.
Initially the duration of the edition was estimated as 15 to 20 years, but the scientific work with the sources required much more time than anticipated. The first volumes appeared in 1954. The edition was completed in June 2007.
Relevance
The Neue Bach-Ausgabe presents a reliable version of Bach's music for both scientists and performers. Its strict philological methods were exemplary for critical scientific editions in the second half of the 20th century.In preparation for the NBA, lost compositions were found, whereas some known compositions proved to be not Bach's works. The examination of the sources corrected the chronology of his compositions.
Revision
In February 2010 the Bach-Archiv Leipzig and the publisher announced a revision of single volumes, in order to include new sources and findings. 15 more volumes are planned, including the Mass in B minor, single Weimar cantatas, the St John Passion, the motets, the violin sonatas, the cello suitesCello Suites (Bach)
The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach are some of the most performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello...
and others.
Awards
The New Bach Edition was awarded the Special Year 2001 Price for Outstanding Music Editions of the German Association of Music Publishers.External links
- Bärenreiter New Bach Edition
- Bach-Archiv Leipzig website
- Bach-Archiv Leipzig zieht positive Jahresbilanz 2010 Bach-Archiv, Leipzig, 23 December 2010 (in German)