Book Description

Abstract: "... Within teh present historically informed climate the practice of score modification and the historically held belief of Werktreue have fallen into disrepute. Ironically, there is strong evidence to suggest that both played a significant role in the performance traditions associated with the canonic repertoire and remain an essential component of modern musical performance. The performance and recorded history of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in D minor, Op. 125 are inextricably linked to the evolution of score modification as an important practical, interpretive and aesthetic method utilised by conductors in their search for Werktreue. Since its première in 8124, the majority of leading conductors have recognised that in order to realise Beethoven's intentions in such a revolutionary and problematic work, more than a reading of the pure text is required. As a result, the employment of score modification techniques and the notion of Werktreue became crucial in the formation of an interpretive aesthetic.... The extensive analysis of the known modified performances and recordings of the Ninth Symphony explored in this paper documents the emergence of score modification as a practical tool employed to enhance the quality of performance and traces its evolution into an interpretive method widely adopted by conductors in their search for a performance aesthetic."