Urtext?

[Jim Garber]

Just a quick question to the experts that prob only needs a quick answer...

I purchased the Beethoven pieces in a Henle edition and they refer to it as an "urtext" edition. Any clue what that means?

In comparison to the dreaded Hladky I have (fingering strangeness IMHO), this does not have any finger markings or even dynamics. Is that what they mean by "urtext"?

Jim

[Jim Garber]

Urtext editions. (http://www.urtext.com/urtext_text.html)
Thanks, Jacob. Of course that opens a whole other question for me of how to deal with these. Is the assumption here that Beethoven wrote these without any dynamic markings? Was that the manner of composition in his day?

Hmmm... on one hand it makes sense figuring out my own fingering. In another -- at my level of playing -- it sometimes does help to have suggestions of fingerings.

Jim

[Alex Timmerman]

Hi Jim,


If you play it on your lovely 1896 Serafino Casini Lombardian mandolin, you can use the fingerings I gave (the Sonatina in C-Major is there in it´s entirety). Even if you play the pieces plectrum style.


If you give it a try, you are (IMO http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif) already much closer to the original manner and so-called "Urtext-edition".


Greetings,

Alex

[Jim Garber]

Alex:
I am close to having that Casini sent to be restored and will tell my repair guy to do it first. I would be nic to hear it sing.

Jim

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Jim,


Wonderful! And what a beautiful instrument that is!

Greetings,

Alex