Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, op. 67

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Th e Facsimile

he complete autograph score of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor which is in the Berlin State Library, Preußischer Kulturbesitz, is offered here for the first time in a multicoloured facsimile edition especially designed for book lovers. Originally comprised of more than 170 sheets in an approx. 32 x 24 cm. (9.5 x 12. 5 in.) format, most of which bear entries on both sides, this personal autograph manuscript of his work allows fascinating insight into Beethoven's creative process during 1807-1808.

Whereas the publisher's copy (Stichvorlage) which had been proofread and corrected by Beethoven was destroyed in a 1943 fire in Leipzig, his own copy of the score survived the War Years undamaged. Unlike the black-and-white, phototype edition by Georg Schünemann which appeared in Berlin in 1942, the present 153-page autograph has been restored to its original size by including 19 leaves (Mus. Ms. Autogr. Beethoven. Mendelssohn-Stiftung 20) that had been removed from the manuscript during Beethoven's own lifetime. These sheets contain the originally-planned, double recapitulation of the Scherzo.

The Autograph Score

This exemplary source edition of what is perhaps Beethoven's most famous work contains a comprehensive introduction (German/English) by Berlin musicologist, Rainer Cadenbach. As editor, Cadenbach expounds upon morphological details of the manuscript, such as paper type, structure of the layers, types of pens and other writing implements, as well as their significance for the genesis of the work. He also transcribes Beethoven's difficult-to-decipher verbal entries, reveals the various layers and stages of subsequent changes and revisions, and comments on the origin and ownership history of this unique autograph. Connoisseurs and amateurs alike are invited to set off on a fascinating journey to explore the creative world of this great composer.

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