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Ludwig van Beethoven » String Quartets (complete editions) » Joachim, Joseph; Moser, Andreas - Peters

Research by Johannes Gebauer (Der "Klassikervortrag". Joseph Joachim und die Interpretationspraxis des 19. Jahrhunderts) doctoral diss., Hochschule der Künste, Bern) has shown that the situation with regard to the Joachim and Moser editions of Beethoven's string quartets is much more complicated than was thought when this website was developed. The following alterations to the introductory text are entirely indebted to his research. In due course, a new introduction, by Johannes Gebauer will be uploaded. The present revision is made simply to correct the most egregious errors in the original version. 

Quartets op. 18 were published in 1901 (plate 8157). The quartets opp. 59, 74, and 95 were published in 1902 (plate 8841), and the quartets from op. 127 onwards in 1903 (plate 8868). 

String quartets ed. Joachim and Moser (Peters): the quartets from op. 127 onwards are available here with the cello part edited by Hugo Dechert (1860-1923), whose name appears on the first page of music, not the title page. Dechert edited all the cello parts in 1911. Peters later reissued this edition with the same (modified) plates and plate numbers, but with the cello parts edited by Hans Münch-Holland (1899-1963). The Joachim/Moser edition was first published with both names on the title page, and with Joachim's given slightly greater prominence. At an as yet uncertain date after 1933 the edition appeared with only Moser’s name on the title page. This probably reflects Nazi attempts to make the Jewish Joachim a 'non person'.  Joachim's bust was removed from the Hochschule during that period and his name was expunged from the record as far as was feasible. The designation 'Neu revidierte Ausgabe' on these reissues reflects substantial changes in the text. Copies of the 'sanitised' Moser only version continued to be marketed long after the Second World War, however, as may be seen from the title pages of op. 18 on this website, which is from a copy bought new in the mid-1960s, and the middle quartets; the title page of the late quartets, which precedes the Nazi purge, contains both names. 

C. B. 

Composer Ludwig van Beethoven
Work String Quartets (complete editions)
Title Quartette
Publisher Peters
City Leipzig
Date 1895 [Source: plate number comparison]
Publication Number
Instrumentation String Quartet – 2 Violins · 1 Viola · 1 Cello
Partly Recomposed No

Parts

Part Plate No. Medium Annotations Musical Text(s)
Title page 8157 (reissue) Moser Printed
Title page 8841 (reissue) Moser Printed
Title page 8868 (reissue) Moser Printed
Title page 8868 Joachim & Moser Printed
Vl 1 8157 (op. 18 no. 1) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8157 (op. 18 no. 2) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8157 (op. 18 no. 3) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8157 (op. 18 no. 4) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8157 (op. 18 no. 5) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8157 (op. 18 no. 6) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8841 (op. 59 no. 1) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8841 (op. 59 no. 2) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8841 (op. 59 no. 3) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8841 (op. 74) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8841 (op. 95) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8868 (op. 127) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8868 (op. 130) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8868 (op. 131) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8868 (op. 132) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8868 (op. 133) Printed Printed
Vl 1 8868 (op. 135) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8157 (op. 18 no. 1) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8157 (op. 18 no. 2) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8157 (op. 18 no. 3) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8157 (op. 18 no. 4) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8157 (op. 18 no. 5) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8157 (op. 18 no. 6) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8841 (op. 59 no. 1) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8841 (op. 59 no. 2) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8841 (op. 59 no. 3) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8841 (op. 74) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8841 (op. 95) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8868 (op. 127) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8868 (op. 130) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8868 (op. 131) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8868 (op. 132) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8868 (op. 133) Printed Printed
Vl 2 8868 (op. 135) Printed Printed
Vla 8157 op. 18 no. 1 Printed Printed
Vla 8157 op. 18 no. 2 Printed Printed
Vla 8157 op. 18 no. 3 Printed Printed
Vla 8157 op. 18 no. 4 Printed Printed
Vla 8157 op. 18 no. 5 Printed Printed
Vla 8157 op. 18 no. 6 Printed Printed
Vla 8841 op. 59 no. 1 Printed Printed
Vla 8841 op. 59 no. 2 Printed Printed
Vla 8841 op. 59 no. 3 Printed Printed
Vla 8841 op. 74 Printed Printed
Vla 8841 op. 95 Printed Printed
Vla 8868 op. 127 Printed Printed
Vla 8868 op. 130 Printed Printed
Vla 8868 op. 131 Printed Printed
Vla 8868 op. 132 Printed Printed
Vla 8868 op. 133, Grosse Fuge Printed Printed
Vlc 8157 op. 18 no. 1 Printed Printed
Vlc 8157 op. 18 no. 2 Printed Printed
Vlc 8157 op. 18 no. 3 Printed Printed
Vlc 8157 op. 18 no. 4 Printed Printed
Vlc 8157 op. 18 no. 5 Printed Printed
Vlc 8157 op. 18 no. 6 Printed Printed
Vlc 8841 op. 59 no. 1 Printed Printed
Vlc 8841 op. 59 no. 2 Printed Printed
Vlc 8841 op. 59 no. 3 Printed Printed
Vlc 8841 op. 74 Printed Printed
Vlc 8841 op. 95 Printed Printed
Vlc 8868 op. 127 Printed Printed
Vlc 8868 op. 130 Printed Printed
Vlc 8868 op. 131 Printed Printed
Vlc 8868 op. 132 Printed Printed
Vlc 8868 op. 133, Grosse Fuge Printed Printed
Vlc 8868 op. 135 Printed Printed
Vlc 8868 op. 135 Printed Printed