The sources

There is, at the time of writing, no authoritative published score of the Ninth Symphony. All editions in common use contain inaccuracies and even bowdlerized versions of what Beethoven wrote, an unfortunate situation compounded by the complexity of the sources for the work. These sources are as follows:

A Autograph score, housed in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, with the exception of the following sections (all, except IV 650–54, composed later):

1. in the Beethovenhaus, Bonn: II 926–54

2. in the Bibliothéque Nationale, Paris: IV 343–75

3. lost: IV 650–54, 814–21

A facsimile of the Autograph was published by Kistner & Siegel in 1924, and reprinted by Edition Peters in 1975.

AP Autograph parts:

1. in the Beethovenhaus, Bonn: trombones (just the parts lacking in A, i.e. 1st and 2nd

2. for II, and all three for IV 655–940)

3. in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin: contrabassoon.

PX Nine manuscript string parts (three each of VI 1, V1 2, VcB) from the original material used at the first performance; housed in the library of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna. All have a few corrections in Beethoven's hand.

B Copyist's score, with Beethoven's corrections, the property of the Royal Philharmonic Society, but on loan to the British Library, London. This score was used at the performance on 21 March 1825.

C Copyist's score used as engraver's copy (Stichvorlage) for E, P, V (see below), in the archive of B. Schotts Söhne, Mainz. C is in fact two sources in one.