Debussy's Nocturnes revised orchestration

[sbeckmesser]

With the posting of the orchestral parts to Debussy's Nocturnes, I've added notes to the scores on that page to the effect that the parts do not match the full scores presently at IMSLP. Aside from the 1999 probably-not-public-domain Critical Edition now available in study-score format from Durand, a more definitive full score needs to be posted. Harvard has such a score in their collection (I saw it myself when I was there) but it may have been published too recently (1930s) to be PD in the USA. Unfortunately, it seems as if the situation here is even worse, if that can be imagined, than the status of Debussy's Pelleas. At least that's what I conclude from the discussion at the following link:

http://books.google.com/books?id=WxrrQi ... es&f=false

--Sixtus

[sbeckmesser]

The problems of a definitive edition of the Nocturnes are well covered in an article by Denis Herlin, "Sirens in the labyrinth: amendments in Debussy's Nocturnes" found on pp.51-77 of Debussy Studies (ed. Richard Langham Smith, Cambridge University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-521-46090-5). What it comes down to is this:

1. The movements with the most changes in orchestration are Fetes and Sirens. The latter is shown to be in a particularly chaotic state.
2. The commonly performed and recorded score, published in 1930 by Jobert, is a hodge-podge of Debussy's two differently(!) annotated copies of the 1900 Fromont first edition (the score at IMSLP). This was reissued 1964 with corrections of the engraving errors of the 1930 version. The orchestral parts available at IMSLP correspond to either the 1930 score or the corrected 1964 score (with access to neither, I can't tell which one for sure). They do NOT match the original 1900 edition.
3. Herlin states: "The 1930 edition is to be avoided, since it comprises a mixture of the two annotated copies, together with the ensuing inconsistencies."
4. Nonetheless, IMSLP should go after the 1930 score (or, better yet, its corrected 1964 reissue). For even though these might have some region-related rights restrictions, they more closely correspond to the IMSLP parts and are the versions most widely heard.

Herlin's work has resulted in a new Critical Edition, published in 1999 by Durand. I don't know if it has been used in any recordings. The full version of this score costs $180 and is 276 pages long. The study-score version of this edition containing only the music is 144 pages. Both are not PD. The difference in page count is presumably the size of the critical report (132 pages), which therefore takes up almost as much space as the work itself, And I thought the Mahler symphonies were a textual nightmare!

--Sixtus

[Carolus]

See the other thread for my remarks on the copyright status of the 1930 revision. There are two other full scores of the Nocturnes which I plan to post in the near future: 1) A full score issued in 1977 or thereabouts by Peters Leipzig (DDR Government issue), edited "Nach den Quellen" by Max Pommer. This is an urtext over 25 years old. It's probably free in the USA as well, thanks to the DDR's status wrt copyright. 2) A full score issued in 1985 by Muzyka. Perhaps these will be more compatible with our parts.

[sbeckmesser]

I remember seeing the Peters score around when it first came out. The critical report was relatively short compared to what must be in the new Durand critical edition. I don't remember the editorial principles (e.g. whether it merely "corrected" the errors of the 1930 print, or went further into critical source evaluation). Unfortunately, the policies here at IMDB will probably forbid the printing of the introductory material as well as the critical report with would enable a better judgment of the true value of the Peters score. I recall there were similarly edited versions of La Mer, Images, Jeux and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun that also deserve posting -- if at all possible with the critical material included. (The stripping off of text-critical material in IMSLP postings is most unfortunate because without it the differences of some scores from other editions can become incomprehensible and confusing.)

Depending on the editing principles, the Peters Nocturnes might, in fact, match the IMSLP parts less frequently than the Russian edition which, at most, will probably be a re-engraving of the 1930 score. It will be fascinating to see both in any case. I myself am ordering a copy of the Durand critical edition study score, but that can't be posted for a few years yet.

--Sixtus

PS: To judge by the IMSLP parts any version of the 1930 score will have a whole note for the clarinets in the first bar of Fetes. There's a whole-bar rest for the clarinets in the first edition.