Description
This complete edition of the Mozart sonatas for violin and keyboard has been researched and prepared by Cliff Eisen, one of the most distinguished Mozart scholars of our time.
Professor Eisen recognizes that many ofthe apparent inconsistencies and idiosynchrasies of Mozart’s notation are perfectly deliberate, and that the attempts in many other editions to impose uniformity upon similar phrases or musical paragraphs can bemisguided. As hewrites in the preface, ‘…the notion that the classical style represents a model of symmetry, balance and clarity is for the most part an 19th-century fiction…it has little to do with Mozart’s actual practice, which isbasedprimarily on variety of both content and articulation.’ So in this new edition, alternative readings found in parallel passages are preserved, rather than being sterilized by a spurious quest for conformity. Naturally allsuch instances are noted within the Critical Commentary. The highly individual beaming within Mozart’s autographs is also respected in the new edition, as this often contributes to our aural perceptions of phrase structure andaccent.
Professor Eisenis is conscious that there is no single ‘Urtext’ for this music. On the contrary, he believes that ‘there is compelling evidence that Mozart’s later performances of his works were characterizedby changes–sometimes substantial changes–in the musical text.’ It is the achievement of this edition to indicate how far this freedom of musical expression can extend, and as such it is likely to take pride of place in thecollections of all those involved in the study and performance of these masterpieces.
