Scope of the Catalogue

This catalogue seeks to list all surviving manuscripts for Mahler's music, and to offer bibliographic descriptions of the early printed sources: all those that appeared during the composer’s lifetime, and first or other important editions that appeared after his death up to c. 1938. This information is accompanied by lists of performances during Mahler’s lifetime, brief details of historically significant recordings and supplementary essays.

The aim of this project is to

• provide physical descriptions of the sources of Mahler's music and their present locations where known

• trace their history and interconnections.

It also includes entries for 'lost' sources, some of which we know must have existed but have never come to public view and others that have had a brief public profile (often in auction or dealers' catalogues), but whose present location is unknown. An awareness of such sources is essential for an understanding of Mahler's working methods and the evaluation and interpretation of the sources that do survive and are accessible.

The Catalogue does not seek to offer a detailed account of the creative processes of which these sources are the main, yet tantalisingly imperfect witnesses: that is another complex task.

Current Status

This site is 'work in progress'. From 2007–2014 the original, incomplete site, was hosted by the Royal College of Music and maintained by the College's Centre for Performance History. When the Centre closed in 2014 the original pages remained available until they were taken down in 2015.  At the time a thorough revision was in progress and during the past four years that process has continued, alongside extensive work on draft entries for further works. Apart from the addition of much new material, efforts have been made to improve the layout and functionality of the existing entries.

The following entries are currently available:

• Symphonies

  • Symphony No. 1

  • Symphony No. 2

• Lieder

  • Lieder für Tenorstimme (1880)

• Unfinished works

  • „Auf dieser Welt hab ich keine Freud‟

• Lost or spurious works

  • Entries for most are now available

• Mahler's Publishers and related topics

  • Friedrich Hofmeister

  • Josef Weinberger

  • Josef Eberle & Co./Erste Wiener Zeitungsgesellschaft/Waldheim-Eberle

  • Universal Edition

  • Pflichtexemplaren (Deposit copies)

  • Josef Stritzko (1861–1908) - Biography and List of Works

  • Vindobona Collection Catalogue (Universal-Edition)

• Supplementary Essays, including

  • Lost and Found: the Edytha Moser Collection of Mahler Proofs

  • Mahler on the performance of his Lieder (1906–7)

  • Natalie Bauer-Lechner: Inventories

  • Ferdinand Weidig (1841–1921), Mahler's Hamburg Copyist

  • Franz Viktorin (c.1830–1888), conductor and teacher in Iglau

• Working Papers, including

  • C.F. Kahnt plate numbers 1888–1920

  • Mahler in Teplitz-Schönau, 1908–1918

  • Mahler's Music in Supplements, Albums and Magazines

  • Mahler – European Radio Broadcasts 1924–1930

At present the entries currently being prepared most actively are:

• The Third and Fourth Symphonies

• The Lieder published by C.F. Kahnt in 1905–7

First-time visitors may find it useful to refer to the brief note on Using the Catalogue. Details of errors of fact and formatting, and in particular additional information are always welcome, and should be sent to paulwbanks@aol.com.

Paul Banks

2007, rev. 2021
 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2258-0267 © 2007-21 Paul Banks  |  This page was lasted edited on 31 March 2021