New sources, new music!
Because of Mendelssohn’s preeminent place in the artistic world of the first half of the 19th century as both performer and composer, he was able to secure performances of his works in concerts across Europe. Many of the premieres of these overtures were conducted or attended by him. As a result of his practical experience and constant desire to improve his creations, there exist a wide array of sources, often with revisions, and as time passed new versions of most of the overtures. These disparate sources are not in any way reflected in either the performing tradition after Mendelssohn’s death or in the publications of his music in the last 150 years.
Some 25 years after Mendelssohn’s death the publisher Breitkopf & Härtel released Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Werke in a Kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe edited by Julius Rietz. This publication, though not a Complete Edition, contained his major works and replaced those publications issued during the composer’s lifetime.
The Rietz edition forms the basis for the performing material available for sale today.
At the time when the Rietz edition was put together not all the sources and versions were consulted or even known to the editor.