Paul Sacher Stiftung

edited by felix meyer and simon obert

woodbridge: the boydell press, 2020
language: english
other editions: german

information on the exhibition here

although the notion of a musical “mainstream” with beethoven as its fons et origo barely holds today, countless composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have referred to beethoven in their music or creatively sought to distance themselves from him. this volume illustrates his ongoing relevance using documents from the collections of the paul sacher foundation.

designed to accompany the like-named exhibition in the bonn beethoven-haus, it adopts the four thematic areas of that exhibition: “learning and teaching with beethoven,” “idealizations,” “strategies of reference,” and “distortion – dismantlement.” it explores the contexts, techniques, and ideological thrusts of beethoven references in musicians of very wide-ranging backgrounds, from anton webern, béla bartók, and richard strauss to mauricio kagel, cathy berberian, and kaija saariaho.

the selected documents are captured in photographic reproduction and accompanied by detailed commentary. each section is preceded by an introductory essay discussing general aspects of recent beethoven reception.

essays by esteban buch, simone hohmaier, matthias schmidt, and michelle ziegler
commentaries on works and texts by hermann danuser, angela ida de benedictis, matthias kassel, felix meyer, simon obert, wolfgang rathert, anne c. shreffler, heidy zimmermann, and giovanni cestino

contents pdf here

order from boydell
191 pages – brochure – 26.5 x 22 cm
isbn 978-1-7832-7590-8
gbp 27,50

other editions: german

edited by simon obert and heidy zimmermann
mainz etc: schott music 2018

language: german
other editions: none

references to, arrangements of, and adapted borrowings from past music are basic creative principles. the productive tension between the authorial and the non-authorial, between extant music and its creative assimilation, has given rise to an unwavering fascination that motivates composers in their own creative work. but never has productive reception been so varied and multifaceted as in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. it extends from tributes to or dismantlements of paradigmatic models to the ongoing pursuit of the artist's own ideas ("work in progress"), and from the quest for inspiration from other genres to cross-media adaptations (e.g. arrangements of concert music for film soundtracks).

this volume, which accompanied the exhibition "re-set" at the museum tinguely in basel, provides a wide-ranging overview of the subject in thirty essays related to the holdings of the paul sacher foundation. it brings to life the varied processes of musical arrangement and remodeling using numerous illustrations from source materials.

the subject is divided into four sections. the first section, "eigentümlich fremd" (strangely different), looks at non-authorial arrangements, i.e. dialogues between composers from quite different historical eras. the second, "definitiv entwicklungsfähig" (firmly malleable), examines the potential of authorial arrangements, covering a broad spectrum of motives. connections to folk music form the subject of the third section, "urvordenklich modern" (primevally modern). it illustrates how traditional music from a wide array of cultures became a body of material for use in art music. finally the fourth section, "unterschwellig elitär" (subliminally élitist), discusses the interaction between popularization and ennoblement – a thematic complex that takes shape in various media, including phonograph records and motion pictures.

contents + preface pdf here

order from schott music
order no: psb 1021
327 pages – hardcover – 29.2 x 24 cm
isbn 978-3-7957-9885-7
eur 38,50

edited by felix meyer and heidy zimmermann
suffolk: boydell & brewer, 2006, reprinted with corrections 2007

out of print!

507 pp. - 24.5 x 28.5 cm
10 digit isbn: 1-84383-211-9
13 digit isbn: 978-1-84383-211-9
[gbp 35]

this volume provides a documentation and commentary on the life, works, and impact of edgard varèse based on an exhaustive analysis of original sources from his posthumous estate. designed to accompany the like-named exhibition mounted by the paul sacher foundation and the museum tinguely in basel in 2006, it contains detailed remarks on all the items on display as well as scholarly essays by leading experts from europe and the united states.

this richly illustrated book contains some 200 mainly color reproductions of manuscripts, letters, and other items from the composer's estate, as well as paintings, drawings, and pieces of sculpture documenting his close ties to figures from the visual arts.    

edited by ulrich mosch with the assistance of matthias kassel, 2000

480 pp., 22.0 x 28.5 cm
isbn 3-7957-0400-6 (psb 1011)
eur 42

the hundredth anniversary of the swiss association of musicians (schweizerischer tonkünstlerverein) provided an occasion for the foundation to offer a retrospective view of a century of swiss music. this volume, designed to accompany the like-named exhibition, draws on music manuscripts, letters, photographs, and other documents from the foundation's own holdings. besides a large number of reproductions, it also includes essays by leading authorities on swiss music and personal statements from composers.

italian and french editions:
«entre denges et denezy ...» documenti sulla storia della musica in svizzera 1900–2000, a cura di ulrich mosch in collaborazione con matthias kassel (lucca: lim editrice s.r.l, 2001).
«entre denges et denezy ... » la musique du xxe siècle en suisse, manuscrits et documents, édité par ulrich mosch, en collaboration avec matthias kassel (geneva: contrechamps, 2001).    

exhibition catalogue in english

edited by felix meyer, 1998

order from schott verlag
isbn 3-7957-0347-6
product number: bss 49489
303 pages - paperback/softcover - 21 x 28 cm
eur 29

this english publication originally accompanied an exhibition held at the pierpont morgan library, new york, in summer 1998. here, for the first time outside of basel, the foundation presented a representative cross-section of its holdings to the educated public. the catalogue contains some eighty color plates, descriptions of all exhibition items, detailed comments on more than forty selected works, and several related essays.    

edited by gottfried boehm, ulrich mosch, and katharina schmidt

london: merrell holberton publishers, 1996.
492 pp., 25 x 30 cm
isbn 3-7204-0092-x
(out of print)

this large catalogue accompanied the like-named exhibition held at the basel kunstmuseum in 1996. it presents a large number of exhibition items and groups of items in high-quality color plates, concise discussions of the works involved, and fundamental essays by leading authorities on facets of «classicism» in modern music and the visual arts, with side glances at the sister arts of architecture and literature.

german and french editions:
«canto d'amore: klassizistische moderne in musik und bildender kunst 1914-1935» (berne: benteli)
«canto d'amore: modernité et classicisme dans la musique et les beaux-arts entre 1914 et 1935» (paris: flammarion)    

edited by hans jörg jans, 1986

462 pp., 22 x 30 cm
isbn 3-7957-0029-9 (kb 1001)
eur 49.95

to celebrate its opening in 1986, the foundation gave the public a glimpse into its manuscript holdings by mounting an exhibition in the basel kunstmuseum. this catalogue introduces the composers represented in its collections at that time. it includes portraits of the composers by leading writers and color reproductions from their scores, some of them in full-page format. 

edited by christian geelhaar and hans jörg jans, 1984

386 pp., 22 x 28 cm
isbn 3-7957-0028-0 (kb 1000)
eur 49.95

acquired in 1983, the igor stravinsky estate forms a cornerstone of the foundation's archival holdings. in 1984 it was presented to the public at the basel kunstmuseum. the associated catalogue reproduces a large number of musical manuscripts by this calligraphically gifted composer as well as portraits and set designs by his friends and associates.