Description

Mendelssohn mentioned this work for the first time in a letter written in Scotland to his family Mendelssohn mentioned this work for the first time in a letter written in Scotland to his family   quoting the first 21 bars of this programmatic overture. Over the years it was to receive numerous revisions.

Firstly, there were two “ Rome ” versions, the first of which Mendelssohn played to Berlioz on the piano. These were followed by two “ London ” versions.

Bärenreiter’s new Urtext study score includes the two London versions, following the scholarly-critical edition of all four versions edited by Christopher Hogwood and published in 2004 (BA 9053).

Description

The Hebrides , the third in Bärenreiter’s series of critical editions of Mendelssohn’s great overtures, is one of Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s most performed compositions. Today this work is only available in one composite version: the Julius Rietz edition from the 1860s.

The new Bärenreiter edition will consist of two versions each containing additional material from further sources.

Version one, the “ Rome ” version, exists itself in two versions and has never been published in a performing edition. Version two, the “ London ” version, also exists in two versions one of which was published by Mendelssohn in 1835.

This pioneer edition documents the development of the composition and the various changes made by Mendelssohn. The new edition offers orchestras for the first time the possibility to perform this famous work based on all known sources.