Project Description

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Autograph of the Fantasias op. 116 (1892), Intermezzi No. 4 (end) and No. 5 (beginning) as well as enlarged section of Intermezzo No. 5 (beginning) - (State and University Library Carl von Ossietzky Hamburg)

The new Johannes Brahms Gesamtausgabe (Johannes Brahms Complete Edition) presents the compositional work of Johannes Brahms in a historical-critical edition. Included are alternative versions of works that the composer left unpublished, as well as the arrangements he made of his own works and those of others. The aim of the edition is to reproduce authentic texts of the works, free of scribal, copyist's and engraver's errors as well as unauthorised additions, and to come as close as possible to the composer's intentions.

The Johannes Brahms Complete Edition is intended to provide a reliable basis for the scholarly study of Brahms' œuvre as well as for faithful artistic interpretations of his music. At least 68 volumes of sheet music with integrated critical reports are planned in 10 series. In addition to the full-time academic team, several external volume editors from Europe and the USA are involved in the edition.

The edition draws on all available relevant sources. Even fragmentary compositions, drafts, and sketches are collected, examined for their significance, and documented in an appropriate form. Corrections within the work transcripts, which provide information about the compositional process, are also documented. Unlike other authoritative composers of his time, however, Brahms was rather sparse about his creative work and, moreover, largely destroyed early documents of compositional elaboration.

Since the historicity of the works is not only revealed in their genesis, the introductions to the volumes also document the publication process, the first performances and trends in early reception against the background of the respective genre history.