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Leipziger Ausgabe der Werke von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

The Leipzig edition of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s works is intended to make all accessible compositions, letters and writings as well as all other documents of his artistic work available to the public in a scientifically appropriate form. As a historical-critical edition, it aims to serve research and musical practice in equal measure. The issue is published in 13 series. Approximately 80 volumes of sheet music with integrated Critical Reports, 75 volumes of letters, writings and diaries, an unspecified number of document volumes and a thematic bibliographic catalogue of works, are planned. External tape editors are also involved in the edition.

In the foreground of the edition are the musical works; not only the completed compositions in all their versions, but also the sources of the creation process (sketches and drafts) as well as the unfinished compositions (fragments) are to be presented. Mendelssohn’s correspondence is also important. Finally, the works of art, mainly drawings and watercolours, should not be missing in order to offer a comprehensive picture of the artist Mendelssohn.

An eponymous complete edition of Felix Medelssohn Bartholdy’s (1809-1847) works of the same name was created and published as early as 1959 by the International Felix Mendelssohn Society (Basel) in collaboration with the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and the Leipziger Deutscher Verlag für Musik. It initially devoted itself to the unpublished youth works of Mendelssohn. With the continuation of the work at the Saxon Academy since 1992, the edition received a new profile as a modern historical-critical complete edition. So far, approximately 50 volumes of sheet music are available, including the „Music for a Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare“, the famous violin concerto and the oratorio „Elijah“. In addition, the study edition of the Mendelssohn-Werkverzeichnis (MWV) was published in 2009.The edition has already been awarded the German Music Edition Prize „Best Edition“ three times (2006, 2010 and 2023) for its work.

Persons

  • Prof. Dr. Christiane Wiesenfeldt (Project Leader)
  • Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmidt (Project Leader)
  • Dr. Ralf Wehner (Office Site Leader)
  • Dr. Clemens Harasim (Research Associate)
  • Birgit Müller M.A. (Research Associate)
  • Tobias Bauer M.A. (Research Associate)
Acronym
LMA
Running time
1992-2047
Project type
Edition

Contact person for the academies' programme

Sebastian Zwies M.A.

Geschäftsstelle Mainz
Union der deutschen Akademien der Wissenschaften
Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 2
55131 Mainz

Tel: 06131/218 528-17
E-Mail: sebastian.zwies@akademienunion.de