Neue Mozart-Ausgabe

• 1. A Century Of Paper And Ink

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  The Neue Mozart-Ausgabe began its life in 1956 when Bärenreiter-Verlag published the first volume. This massive project continued until 2007, spanning over five decades of scholarly labor. The final count reached 132 volumes containing 25,000 pages of music. These works were organized into 35 distinct work groups and arranged across ten series. Each musical score came with a separate critical commentary that added another 8,000 pages to the total collection. Wolfgang Rehm served as one of the editorial directors during this long process. He stated that the edition aimed to offer the latest state of philological-musicological procedure alongside practical knowledge for performers.

• 2. Ten Series Of Scholarly Work

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  Scholars organized the music into ten specific series to reflect modern research standards. Ludwig Finscher edited The Marriage of Figaro for the NMA which appeared in 1973. H. C. Robbins Landon called the edition an absolute necessity if musicians are to perform Mozart correctly. He once insisted that the Vienna Philharmonic use the NMA for recordings rather than older editions. Stanley Sadie remarked that the editors managed with the available materials as well as possible given the circumstances. The ten series cover all compositions from early sketches to final operas. Each volume contains detailed notes explaining the choices made by the editorial team.

• 3. War And Missing Manuscripts

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  Editors faced significant challenges due to the removal of major autograph collections during World War II. Most of the largest single collection of Mozart autographs belonged to the Berlin State Library and remained unavailable until 1980. When editing The Marriage of Figaro, Ludwig Finscher could only access the first two acts of the autograph score. Wolfgang Rehm had to make use of a photographic reproduction of the autograph for Piano Concerto No. 27 since the original was not accessible in 1960. Rudolf Serkin provided the photographer copy before the war ended. These missing sources delayed progress and forced editors to work with incomplete information for decades.

• 4. Debates Over Ornamentation

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  Frederick Neumann published a book titled Ornamentation and Improvisation in Mozart to critique specific details. He found some ornamentation helpful while viewing others as misjudged regarding vocal cadenzas. Neumann wrote in his Preface that the NMA offered an indispensable supplement when primary sources were unavailable. His strictures did not seem particularly severe despite the criticism. Performers and scholars still regard the edition as an indispensable reference for accurate performance. H. C. Robbins Landon noted that recent discoveries have rendered even the NMAs edition of the Linz symphony obsolete. Research regarding Mozart's work remains an ongoing process that may challenge current editions.

• 5. Replacing The Old Edition

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  This project superseded the older Alte Mozart-Ausgabe by incorporating new research and correcting errors. The previous complete works edition came from Breitkopf & Härtel between 1877 and 1883 with supplements until 1910. Wolfgang Rehm stated that the NMA aims to be a historical-critical edition offering practical knowledge. Highly regarded performers frequently use the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe for serious study of the composer. The old edition sometimes lacked accuracy compared to modern philological standards. Bärenreiter-Verlag took over the publication duties to ensure higher quality control across all volumes.

• 6. Digital Access And Paperbacks

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  Starting the 12th of December 2006, scans of the vast majority of the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe became available online. The International Mozarteum Foundation provided this service in cooperation with the Packard Humanities Institute. Users could access files in JPEG and PDF format through the Digital Mozart Edition. Bärenreiter has more recently been publishing portions of the NMA in paperback format instead of large hardbound volumes. Nine full-sized clothbound volumes of the original edition were reduced to three thick slipcased paperbacks. This shift made the music more accessible to individual musicians and smaller libraries worldwide.