Viennese research group of the New Schubert Edition

The Viennese research group of the New Schubert Edition, located at the ÖAW since 1980, was assigned to the former Commission for Music Research (now the Department of Musicology at the ACDH-CH) in October 2006. It is in an international partnership within a long-term musicological edition project based at the University Tübingen, whose goal is the scientific-critical publication of all of Franz Schubert’s works. 

The New Schubert Edition endeavours to do justice to the specific character of the Schubertian understanding of works on the basis of all the available sources and the latest scientific findings. These include, for example, the co-existence of different versions of a work on equal footing, and the significance of the often numerous variants. Overall, 84 volumes of the New Schubert Edition are planned, grouped by genre into eight series, including a catalogue of works and documents for biographical and source studies. Each volume cites the most important sources and readings in the appendix and is extended by a supplemental, critical report. In this way, a musical score sheet is created, which aims to be used in musical practice despite the philological complexity. The sheet music and document volumes will be published by Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel. 

 

The Viennese group pursues source research and edits its own volumes as well as those of other staff members. It engages in public relations activities by organising various information events (lectures, presentations and lecture concerts). Furthermore, it advises artists and festivals scientifically.

Since 2012, the team also supervises the biggest digital collection of Schubert autographs worldwide as well as first and early prints at www.schubert-online.at. The newly designed database Schubert Digital (forthcoming) will provide detailed descriptions of sources for Schubert’s autographs, which will create an essential foundation for future research into the composer’s works and their transmission.