Urtext Editions

BÄRENREITER uses the term “Urtext” for scholarly-critical editions whose musical text has been established by outstanding experts based on all available and authorized sources with the aim of coming as close as possible to the form intended by the composer.

Bärenreiter Urtext repertoire spans all music periods from the Early Baroque right through to the music of today. It includes not only the classical ‘greats’ such as Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and Schubert to name a few, but also many other perhaps lesser well-known, but equally deserving composers.

Editorial changes, which may be necessary in the case of doubtful or unclear readings, are confined to the minimum and documented in the critical commentary.

Bärenreiter Urtext editions are aimed at students of all ages, scholars, amateurs and professionals alike. Great attention is paid towards the presentation of the musical text in a clear layout enabling an optimum reading quality as well as practical page-turns and fold-out pages where necessary. In addition, an integral part of a Bärenreiter Urtext edition is a detailed foreword, often with notes on performance practice.

Bärenreiter Urtext Editions Offer:

• Information on the genesis and history of the work
• Description of the sources
• Valuable notes on performance practice
• Critical commentary explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions
• Page turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them
• Solo string works include additional parts with fingerings and bowings
• Solo concertos and vocal scores include straight-forward piano reductions
• Well-presented layouts and a user-friendly formats
• Excellent print quality
• Superior paper and binding

BREITKOPF & HÄRTEL, founded in 1719, is the oldest music publishing company in the world today. It was already dealing with the leading composers in the 18th century and continues this tradition successfully today. Under “Breitkopf Pädogogik”, the publishing house emphasized its deep commitment to new music – pedagogical concepts. “Breitkopf Urtext” guarantees musicologically flawless performing editions for interpreters. Breitkopf’s editions are regularly awarded.

Breitkopf & Härtel Urtext Editions Offer:

• Scores and material in large orchestra format, with compact, clear, and easy to read music engraving
• Scores with clearly marked editorial additions including a critical report, where important differences from the sources are indicated in bold type
• Instrumental parts without “ifs“ or “buts” (without different readings, versions and ossias), i.e. coordinated for performance practice, with convenient page turns and cue-notes

HENLE Urtext editions are known around the world to both amateur and professional musicians. Practical and durable, Henle editions are undistorted and free of errors providing music that can be relied on. Concentrating almost exclusively on producing Urtext editions of the great “classical” compositions, Henle has provided one of the most comprehensive Urtext catalogues since 1948.

Henle Urtext Editions Offer:

• Undistorted, reliable and authoritative musical text
• Superb, aesthetically appealing music engraving
• Optimization for practical use (page turns, fingerings)
• High quality and durable cover, paper, and binding
• Prefaces and explanatory footnotes in German, French and English
• A description and evaluation of sources, readings and a documentation of the corrections made (critical Report) in German, English, and often also in French

CARUS Urtext editions aim to provide a reliable music text, cleansed of the additions of later centuries. They are developed according to current musicological standards, taking into account all of the known sources, with the objective of most closely realizing the composer’s intention. Every decision made by the editor – from the choice of the definitive source to the individual readings – is documented and discussed in the critical report, and emendations in the musical text – for example, parallel passages – are marked accordingly. The foreword offers performers important information concerning the work and its genesis as well as suggestions for performance.

Carus Urtext Editions Offer:

• Excellent readability due to clear layout and precise printing
• High quality paper of faint yellow color does not crease, is easy to read and allows for quieter page turns
• A sturdy and practical binding guarantees a long life for the music
• Vocal scores with playable, substantial and pianistic settings on the basis of the Urtext
• Choral scores to reduce the cost of performing large choral works
• Orchestral parts with convenient page turns and practical cues