Project Description

By linking two new, mutually interrelated research approaches - Genetic Textual Criticism and Digital Edition - the highly complex dynamics of compositional processes in Beethoven's œuvre, for whose investigation the source readings and source development offer ideal conditions, will be researched, documented, and reproduced in exemplary digital editions in a novel way. With this project, a central subject of musicological research will be focused on from multiple perspectives in order to gain a differentiated and at the same time critically reflective picture of the textual movements that are to be made visible through the media. The expected findings are of importance for the assessment of the entire compositional history and aesthetics of the 19th and 20th centuries, which essentially rely on Beethoven.

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L. van Beethoven: String Quartet op. 59 No. 3, II. movement, Andante con moto quasi Allegretto, T. 32 - 37 (BeethovenHaus, Bonn; BH 62)

The research project, which combines two specialized institutions in a close cooperation, sees itself as a contribution to basic research in musicology and is at the same time aimed at developing concepts and solutions in the field of digital humanities at the interface of musicology and applied computer science.

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L. van Beethoven: String Quartet op. 59 No. 3, II. movement, Andante con moto quasi Allegretto, m. 48 - 50 (BeethovenHaus, Bonn; BH 62), with an excerpt of the MEI coding of the corresponding passage.

Scope of the project: Digital editions in 5 modules of increasing complexity (1. system of variants, 2. arrangements, 3. correction processes in printed editions, 4. sketchbook edition, 5. triple edition of the Diabelli Variations) including the respective module documentation. In the first three modules, approximately 20 representative works by Beethoven from the areas of orchestral, chamber, piano, and vocal music will be edited. This will result in both very extensive (Module 3) and very deeply developed (Module 2) editions. Modules 4 and 5 present a comprehensive digital edition of a complete sketchbook as well as a model edition of the Diabelli Variations documenting all sources and textual movements with different editing approaches. The digital tools developed within the framework of the modules will be made available to the subject free of charge as open source for further use.

Beethovens Werkstatt from Beethovens Werkstatt on Vimeo.Vimeo.