Mahler symphonies

[mbalmer]

I know that the editions of the various Mahler symphonies that are up right now are the more authoritative Urtext ones, but could the older PD-in-US scores be put up? It would be handy for those of us in the US who'd like to get our hands on scores to the work and don't want to violate the copyright on the Urtext scores.

[daphnis]

Not sure exactly what you mean, aside from only one (the seventh), the other 8 are present in the PD-US editions.

[sbeckmesser]

Symphony No. 2 is available only in the Mahler Gesellschaft edition, with no PD-US equivalent. BTW, just having an MG edition is no guarantee that it is up to date. I believe all of the symphonies have received "updates" since the original MG critical editions were published. At least one (No. 5) was completely (beautifully) re-engraved a few years ago. It differs sometimes substantially from the original MG critical edition, which itself often differs considerably from the work's first edition. No. 2 has or is about to be re-edited/re-engraved and several other symphonies are scheduled for this degree of makeover. Be also aware that recent stereo recordings almost all use the MG editions (of various vintages) and there will be times when listening to them while following one of the first-edition scores (such as some of those reprinted by Dover) that you will hear significant differences from what's on the printed page, especially with No.5. I often wish there were recordings of the first editions, so we can hear Mahler's first thoughts on several passages.

--Sixtus