TECLA EDITIONS

Playing from original editions

especially 19th century guitar music

This is not the place to discuss at length this question which is the subject of many a course in conservatories and universities. Nevertheless, a word or two may be helpful to those who come across - perhaps for the first time - original early 19th century editions such as those reproduced in my edition of the Complete Works of Giuliani or in my 9-volume edition of the Complete Works of Sor (Tecla).

Nearly all early 19th century music editions are perfectly legible for us. The differences between them and our own notation are (with only few exceptions) negligible for all practical purposes. The differences in notational practice are usually matters of detail which one can quickly get used to. The late Robert Spencer wrote an article on this subject entitled "19th century guitar music: the type of edition we should play from" (Classical Guitar, November 1996), saying: "I suggest that by now each guitarist should be his own editor ... and if we do not have the requisite knowledge we should acquire it" - a blunt assertion indeed, but it is only common sense and in his case is based on a lifetime's experience. If we look at straightforward pieces such as Giuliani's Ländler or Monferrine, or even his songs the Sei Ariette, it is possible just to pick the music up and play it. There are no problems. You certainly don't need a modern edition, even if you are a beginner.

Sometimes, however, the original editions do present problems, and then something has to be done. This is the case, for example, with Sor's Lessons op. 31 and Exercises op. 35, whose original editions were faintly printed and hence hard to read; presented doubts as to the correct reading especially at repeats; and whose fingering contained large numbers of errors. So I produced my modern edition of these pieces, Sor's Complete Studies, Lessons, and Exercises (Tecla 101), which is easier to read than the originals, being re-engraved. But it has no changes except where there was a difficulty in the original. Nothing is editorially added. For example, Sor's op. 6, the first set of studies, has no fingering in the original, and so I haven't added any new fingering (unlike another new edition of this same music which has large quantities of newly added modern fingering from beginning to end). (One reviewer didn't like my edition because it did not provide long lists of editorial commentary. But that omission from my edition was for several good reasons. Firstly, this book is rigorously edited in line with proper musicological practice, but nevertheless it is a book for students and such lists would not have a proper place there. Secondly, those who are interested in editorial problems can easily compare the originals in the readily available Tecla nine-volume edition. And, of course, including such lists would have put the price up.)

There is another advantage in using original editions: you escape traps which are sometimes found in modern editions, far, far more often than one might think. Robert Spencer quotes just two, from a prestigious modern edition of Berlioz, where the modern editor has mistaken an accent mark for a decrescendo mark (a very different thing!) and somehow a f has become a p (again very different).

However, I am sure that the best attitude to all this is a relaxed one of common sense. People don't have time to collect hard-to-obtain editions: one has to do one's best with what there is. Sometimes it will be one kind of edition, sometimes another. Sometimes there are good reasons for using modern editions, such as the one I mentioned above, or in the case of pieces like Giuliani's works for guitar and flute or violin where the original has no score and it would be helpful to have one. In any case, if you do try original editions, you are very likely to enjoy them, and you will be just one (small) step nearer to the age from which the music came.

Brian Jeffery

Giuliani's Complete Works.

Notes on Giuliani's music.

Sor's Complete Works for guitar.

Sor's Complete Studies, Lessons, and Exercises.

Tecla main page.