Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Music Examples
- List of Tables
- Prologue
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- PART I CONTEXTUALISING
- PART II PROGRAMMING
- PART III INTERPRETING: ORCHESTRAL WORKS
- 5 Performance Scores
- 6 Recordings
- 7 An Editorial Project
- 8 Orchestral Arrangements
- PART IV INTERPRETING: VOCAL WORKS
- PART V INFLUENCING
- APPENDICES
- Bibliography
- General Index
- Index of Works by J.S. Bach
7 - An Editorial Project
from PART III - INTERPRETING: ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2019
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Music Examples
- List of Tables
- Prologue
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- PART I CONTEXTUALISING
- PART II PROGRAMMING
- PART III INTERPRETING: ORCHESTRAL WORKS
- 5 Performance Scores
- 6 Recordings
- 7 An Editorial Project
- 8 Orchestral Arrangements
- PART IV INTERPRETING: VOCAL WORKS
- PART V INFLUENCING
- APPENDICES
- Bibliography
- General Index
- Index of Works by J.S. Bach
Summary
This, then, is intended to be a practical performing edition, based on more than thirty years’ experience of conducting the Concertos at public concerts.
(Henry Wood, Preface to Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, 1944)THE PREFACE
IN 1944 Boosey & Hawkes published Henry Wood's edition of Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. The preface is his longest surviving piece of writing on the repertoire and not only reveals his motivation, some degree of his editorial process, and the influences on his interpretation, but hints at a much bigger venture: a complete edition of all the Brandenburg Concertos.
These evergreen masterworks have long been known and loved by musicians and concert-goers; yet because of the various problems they present in performance there are numerous orchestras, particularly those consisting of amateurs and students, for whom their production is difficult or impossible.
This, then, is intended to be a practical performing edition, based on more than thirty years’ experience of conducting the Concertos at public concerts. I hope it will not only go far towards smoothing out difficulties of performance for the standard professional orchestras, but will also enable the works to be played by many other ensembles to whom, hitherto, they have been inaccessible.
The string parts have been bowed and fingered, and the ‘war on dots’ will be noted: in one edition of these Concertos I had to erase no less than 768 dots from the first violin part of the first movement only of the third Concerto. To a string player a dot means ‘staccato’ how can any nobility or dignity be imparted to the phrases if they are played almost incessantly ‘spiccato’ or ‘staccato’.
As far as dynamics are concerned, Bach left no indications in his score. I have added expression marks, though more as a general guide than as detailed instruction. In this connection I would add that having had the unique opportunity of playing Bach's Violin Concertos with Joachim, Norman Neruda, Ysaÿe, Kreisler, Menuhin, and others, I always noted that these great string players did not play long series of notes with a level ‘forte’ tone (in ‘terraces of sound’ is, I believe, the official term) without the slightest inflexion or artistic ‘messa di voce’ they all employed a subtle inflection and emphasis, giving a human feeling to these immortal phrases of the master.
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- Information
- Sir Henry Wood: Champion of J. S. Bach , pp. 117 - 150Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2019