SKU: BA.BA06857

ISBN 9790260100503. 34.3 x 27 cm inches.

Janácek’s 2nd String Quartet, “Intimate Letters”, is regarded as a highlight of the modern string quartet literature. It was written during the composer’s last year of life, between 29 January and 19 February 1928, inspired by the ageing Janácek’s exceptional love for Kamila Stösslová. The Moravian Quartet devoted themselves to this impressive work; Janácek attended a total of three of their rehearsals in May and June 1928. This had several consequences, including his abandoning his original idea of using a viola d’amore.

After Janácek’s unexpected death (12 August 1928) the uncertain genesis of the work became the greatest problem of the “Intimate Letters”: the surviving copies were not definitively authorised.

The editors of this new edition have reverted to Janácek’s autograph sketches as the main, most reliable source and using these as a basis, have reconstructed the work as it stood at the point of Janácek’s death.

The musical text therefore contains clear differences in comparison with older editions.

About Barenreiter Urtext

SKU: BA.BA05278

ISBN 9790006569625. 32.5 x 25.5 cm inches. Preface: Talle, Andrew.

When we think of the cello, we automatically think of Bach’s immortal cello suites. They are the very core of cello literature, their timeless beauty accompanying cellists from their student years throughout the height of their professional careers.

Considering the works’ significance, the great number of editions in existence is not surprising. However, the composer’s autograph has not been preserved and is considered lost. This circumstance creates an exceptional challenge many editors faced over the years. The four autograph sources still in existence and the first print from 1824 show numerous small deviations, especially in terms of articulation markings and phrasing.

In this two-volume edition of Bach’s cello suites, Andrew Talle now presents an entirely new view of the relationships between existing sources. The first volume contains the edited musical text, which comes as close to the composer’s original intention as the surviving source material allows: “This edition does not constitute a perfect reconstruction of the lost autograph; that is something no editor could claim to accomplish. Instead, I have attempted to supply musicians and researchers with a reliable version of the surviving musical text of the six cello suites, and to convey a sense of the many possibilities Bach encouraged his musicians to explore.”The second volume presents, for the first time, synoptically arranged facsimiles of the handwritten sources as well as the first print (with Suite No. V also including Bach’s own arrangement for lute), allowing readers to compare any specific section in all sources at one glance. This allows for a straightforward and immediate consideration of all sources, making editorial decisions transparent and self-evident.

Andrew Talle’s edition is supplemented by a comprehensive discussion of the instrument for which the suites were created, as well as information regarding musical interpretation during Bach’s time.

About Barenreiter Urtext

SKU: BA.BA11523

ISBN 9790260108578. 31 x 24.3 cm inches. Key: E-flat major.

When Antonín Dvorák started composing his String Quartet No. 10 in late 1878, none of his quartets had yet been performed. However this new work, deliberately cast in the “Slavonic” style, quickly achieved international renown and has remained among one of the most popular string quartets by Dvorák.

The authoritative Dvorák scholar Hartmut Schick has consulted all accessible sources, most notably the printed score published by Simrock and the autograph. Now, after many decades, a definitive Urtext edition of this major work can be presented. In comparison to the old Supraphon edition of 1955, the new publication includes a detailed Critical Commentary (Eng) as well as edited early versions of the middle movements in the appendix. A detailed Foreword (Ger/Cz/Eng) by the editor is also contained.

About Barenreiter Urtext