Richard Wagner Complete Edition

Society for the Promotion of the Richard Wagner Complete Edition, Musikverlag Schott, Mainz, Germany

There can be no doubt as to the eminent significance of Richard Wagner. His world renown is still growing today – a fact that should make it self-evident for reliable and critically elaborated notation to be available for performances throughout the world, as is presented in the Richard Wagner Complete Edition. Wagner is not a phenomenon you can just assign to history; Wagner is a living presence. The Richard Wagner Complete Edition is so topical because it obviously also uses the methods of modern textual criticism while not seeing itself as an edition that solely serves the field of musicology. Unlike normal complete musical editions, this one is not limited to presenting scores in scholarly elaborations of notation as it also integrates Wagner’s performance practice and offers Wagner’s own varied commentary on his works in separate document volumes. Therefore, it is ultimately not least an edition for contemporary musical and theatrical practice and modern “Regietheater” that has its roots in both Wagner’s works and his theatrical practice. The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation has supported the Richard Wagner Complete Edition repeatedly over previous years. The foundation made it possible to present to the public for the first time the hitherto virtually unknown French versions of Tannhäuser. This support also made possible the elaboration of the Valkyrie Edition – whose blurred sources demanded special efforts. 61 volumes have already been prepared and nine are to follow. A public presentation of the completed edition is planned for early 2015 in Munich or Bayreuth.

2014/2015
Munich, Germany 

Further Information:
www.schott-musik.de