Musicology Australia

Editing Music by Lesser-Known Composers, 1600–1820

Editing the music of the Western tradition has been a major concern of musicologists since the foundation of the discipline. As a result, a great range of editions exist to suit the needs of different users: from Opera Omnia to single works, encompassing Urtext, performance-focused, and scholarly/critical editions (among other types) and prepared by solo editors to large teams. Yet while major effort was placed on monumental collected works of composers deemed of great significance to the Western musical canon, there are numerous instances where composers of great merit have been neglected or overlooked, despite considerable interest in their achievements from musicologists, performers, and audiences. Reasons for their neglect extend beyond a sort of favouritism, to the financial costs of publishing (and marketing) collected works in print or online, together with the logistical and administrative challenges of assembling editorial teams, not to mention the significant length of time such large-scale projects can take.

Musicology Australia – the flagship double-blind peer-reviewed journal of the Musicological Society of Australia – invites submissions for a special issue on the theme of editing music by lesser-known composers who were active in the years between 1600 and 1820.

We are particularly (but not exclusively) interested in contributions that:

• emphasise the importance of editions for practical purposes/applications – bringing the music to life through performance and generating interest amongst performers and audiences as well as scholars
• deal with particular problems associated with the task and skill set for editing minor/lesser-known composers
• consider the risks associated with composers who have achieved cult status among a niche group of dedicated fans, but for whom robust and scholarly editions of their works suitable for performance and online use do not exist.