2014-10-23

PWM Edition has just finished its works on the source edition of Karol Szymanowski’s compositions. We found him written - we leave him printed – said with emotion Teresa Chylińska- a scientific editor of book series and one of the most prominent experts of life and works of Karol from Atma.

Karol Szymanowski's source edition was finished along with the release of Hagith opera score. We have a reason to celebrate because as Daniel Cichy,PhD.- the editor-in-chief of PWM Edition, said: it is always an event when a composer receives its legacy which is prepared with respect for all details regarding a musical notation. Karol Szymanowski is the second Polish composer, after Fryderyk Chopin, whose all compositions were published. In other European countries vast book series include whole compositional legacy of the greatest masters such as: Bach, Mozart, Brahms or Wagner. Publishing all compositions of a composer (sometimes called formally in Latin opera omnia ) is a kind of recognition that every sound is of great importance so we should find this sound ,determine its authenticity and record it in the most credible form- wrote Teresa Chylińska, the scientific editor of Karol Szymanowski’s source edition. The edition of all works of that composer includes not only compositions but also correspondence and writings. A thematic catalogue was created, and information gathered while preparing the editions became a part of a three-volume monograph of the composer written by Teresa Chylińska.

All works were published in two language versions: Polish ( 26 volumes) and German-English (17 toms). Each volume of the book series has detailed theoretical and critical introduction.
It has been over half a century since works regarding publication of Karol Szymanowski’s works were finished. A few generations of musicologists took part in preparing the composer’s compositions. There were also some changes concerning techniques of editing and printing out notes while publishing next volumes of the book series. Some of the printing solutions were created for the purpose of publishing Szymanowski‘s compositions. One of the most important innovations took place in the 1960s, just at the beginning of works regarding publishing the composer’s works. This particular change concerned the way a source material was being prepared. The process of publishing Karol Szymanowski’s works was full of struggle with old way of thinking about editorship- said prof. Mieczysław Tomaszewski- a former editior-in-chief and a director of PWM Edition. This kind of thinking was mainly about preparing a composition which was convenient for a contemporary performer . When we started our works regarding Szymanowski’s compositions there was a movement called Urtextausgabe (a source edition done in a such way that it was consistent with original notation of the composer) wich went through an European community of music publishers.
The beginnings were not easy because it was not only about convincing the followers of an old style of issuing music scores to a new idea, but it was about inventing a method and a tool which were necessary to prepare a source material. None of us was able to do „all works“ or any editions. We were not able to do anything and, what is worse, we had no exemplars- mentioned Teresa Chylińska. Publishing for example Bach’s works could not serve as a exemplary material because it did not match the subject that we undertook. After all, that was different music and different stylistics, therefore we could not apply those rules to Szymanowski’s music score. What we actually did, was sitting together doing some brainstorming in order to find tools.

There were other obstacles while publishing Szymanowski’s works e.g. those related to limited access to source materials which were mainly abroad ( majority was in possession of Viennese Universal Edition) or ambiguity of records regarding handicraft itself. Additionally, there were some disheartening situations when for example due to some changes concerning copyright in 2007, Szymanowski’s compositions, which were not legally protected, suddenly were again under the supervision of Universal Edition. As a consequence, PWM Edition had to start to negotiate with that publishing house once again . Some of the events which took place deserve to be called ‚miracles‘ , for example: after some years of preparing Hagith according to a seriously misshapen copy in regard to the autograph, Szymanowski’s manuscript was suddenly found in Universal archives.

Despite numerous challenges and obstacles the book series was completed in favour of musicologists and musicians. Previously, artists had to make the use of manuscript copies which were not always precise and unambiguous- said Andrzej Kosowski a former editor-in-chief of PWM Edition and present director of The Institute of Music and Dance. Not so long ago in 2007, when there still was not the publication of Szymanowski’s „I Symfonia“ ( I Symphony), Antoni Wit was telling me that when he received unedited score from PWM Edition he did not actually know how to approach it, therefore he was playing some of the parts in major and next time in minor to check which version sounded better. Urszula Kryger, a singer, thinks that due to publication of Karol Szymanowski’s works his compositions will be performed more frequently. According to her, it will result in greater dissemination of his works. I get an impression that Karol Szymanowski is the composer who is more known in the world than in his own homeland. I am singing „ Pieśni miłosne Hafiza“ ( Hafiz’s love songs) for the first time in Poland during the Jubilee Concert tonight. Earlier, I sang them in France, Belgium but not in Poland. Let’s wake up and play Karol Szymanowski! He is one of our greatest artists who we can boast about without any complexes- appeals the artist. The fact that we have finished the publication of his works does not mean the end of research regarding Karol Szymanowski’s works. These fully examined publications will not only make up a strong foundation for further works of musicologist , who are inspired by different research methods, but they will also emphasise music of Karol from Atma on concert and opera stages.

Maria Napieraj
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