Dido and Aeneas, Fowler edition

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choralgreg
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Joined: 20 Apr 2016 06:22

Dido and Aeneas, Fowler edition

Post by choralgreg »

John Henry Fowler
Editor, Choral Public Domain Library

Dear Sir:

Thank you for the enormous work that you have done in publishing Henry Purcell’s opera “Dido and Aeneas.” I am the director of a choir which has recently produced a concert version of the opera, and we have found your score and parts invaluable.

Jerome translated the entire Bible into Latin and made only two errors; he is now considered a saint. You and I are not so blessed; please allow me to draw your attention to the following errors in your edition of 7-8-2006, in the hopes that you or someone else may have time to correct them for the online edition. Most of the errors are in the realization of the continuo part; I pointed out to our harpsichordist that in the old days she would have had to create the whole part herself, but she was not much comforted.

First, a suggestion: it would be much more convenient if the measure numbers and movement numbers in the full score, the choral score, and the instrumental parts were all the same. All of the page and measure numbers that I give here are from your edition of the full score.

Page 7 measure 42: harpsichord part RH should begin with E-flat and C together.
P 17 m 149: chorus word is “monarchs”.
P 23 m 213: harpsichord part RH should read E-G, E-A.
P 28 m 275: soprano solo should read C.
P 33 m 296: harpsichord part opening chord should be E-minor.
P 34 m 304-305: harpsichord part RH tied note should be C. m 308 and 309 harpsichord part RH beat 3 of each measure should be a C major chord. m 312 and upbeat: semiquaver run should be one tone lower and finish on G.
P 40 m 350: harpsichord part RH quavers should be one tone higher, to read C D.
P 44 m 374: Violin 1 should read A D B.
P 48 m 427: Harpsichord part RH first chord should be B-flat C G.
P 56 m 484: harpsichord part RH should read E G B-natural. M 488: Basso should read C E-natural D-natural.
P 58 m 498: harpsichord part RH should read E C G C G E.
P 59 m 506: Violin 2 should read D-natural D-natural F-sharp.
P 60 m 510: harpsichord part RH top note should be D.
P 64 m 533: Basso part should read C B-flat A.
P 67 m 570 : chorus word should be “vaulted”.
P 70 m 589: Violin 2 and alto parts should read D E.
P 73 m 604-605: Harpsichord LH should read D C F E / D .
P 75 m 615: Violin 2 should read G G G A.
P 76 m 620: harpsichord part RH should begin with D-F. m 623: Violin 2 part should read C G C C D.
P 80 m 647: Basso should read B-flat. M 652 harpsichord LH should read C D E .
P 81 m 659: Basso should read G.
P 82: is this movement 24-b or 25?
P 83 m 672: Harpsichord RH should replace E’s with D’s.
P 89 m 729: Violin 1 should begin with E. m 734: harpsichord RH second chord should be A major.
P 90 m 738: harpsichord Rh should be D major chord.
P 92 m 755: Basso should begin with G.
P 96 m 767: harpsichord LH should start with G.
P 100 m 799: harpsichord RH should begin with a dotted quaver rest.
P 102 m 816: harpsichord RH should read B-flat A G F E-natural.
P 104 m 840 and 841: harpsichord RH should read B-flat A B-flat C D. m 845 harpsichord RH should read F-E D-G. m 847 harpsichord RH should read C-D-A.
P 105 m 863 and 864: harpsichord LH rhythm should match voice and Basso rhythms. M 864-865: harpsichord RH should read F A C B-flat / A D E.
P 107 m 875: vocal Bass part should read D E-flat F.
P 109 m 885 and 886: harpsichord RH needs B-naturals.
P 110 m 894 and 895: harpsichord LH rhythm should match Basso rhythm. M 896: harpsichord LH should read E-flat E-flat B-flat.
P 111 m 901: harpsichord RH should read C-A D-F.
P 113 m 922: harpsichord RH should end with C-sharp-E.
P 114 m 927 and 928: Basso and harpsichord LH should read F A B-flat A / B-flat.
P 116 m 950 and 951: harpsichord RH needs reworking. M 954: harpsichord RH should begin with B-flat.
P 118 m 964: vocal bass should read A-flat F G G.
P 120 m 971: violin 1 and soprano should read D B-flat G.
P 125 m 1018: harpsichord RH lowest note should be D.
P 131 m 1078: harpsichord RH second chord should be G minor.

Thank you again for all of your hard work, and for your patience with this letter.

Sincerely,

Greg Johnson
carlos
Site Admin
Posts: 1870
Joined: 19 Aug 2008 15:26
Location: São Paulo, Brasil

Re: Dido and Aeneas, Fowler edition

Post by carlos »

Dear Greg,

Thank you for your kind words toward John Henry Fowler, and for your detailed report on his edition of “Dido and Aeneas”. The suggested changes will certainly be useful for other users as well! To this end, I have also posted your list to that work's discussion page.

Our valued editor John Henry Fowler has unfortunately been inactive for several years now. These corrections will probably have to be implemented by some other volunteer.

Kind regards,
Carlos (talk)
CPDL Administration
D-fished
Posts: 31
Joined: 01 Dec 2010 04:03
Location: North Vancouver BC, Canada

Re: Dido and Aeneas, Fowler edition

Post by D-fished »

Hello Carlos,

I've taken a copy of the Sibelius file for the complete score and of Greg Johnson's errata list. I'll have a look at making the corrections (I'll also have a look at my copy of the Novello edition to verify the errata). I expect to produce a new complete score and set of parts (with measure numbers harmonized), but I doubt that I'll go to the trouble of extracting all the separate movements.

I assume that it's best to post it as a new edition rather than overwrite John Henry Fowler`s files, but I will make it clear that it is a revision of Fowler`s work and not a completely new version.

David Millard
carlos
Site Admin
Posts: 1870
Joined: 19 Aug 2008 15:26
Location: São Paulo, Brasil

Re: Dido and Aeneas, Fowler edition

Post by carlos »

Hello David, that's fantastic!

Thank you so much for offering to produce a new, revised set of scores. When you're done, please submit it as a new edition, as you suggest. We recommend overwriting files by other editors only when changes are minimal; that's not the case here. But I agree that it's fair to add a note informing that your edition is based on Fowler's.

Best regards,
Carlos (talk)
CPDL Administration
Jurriaan
Posts: 3
Joined: 11 Oct 2016 14:14

Re: Dido and Aeneas, Fowler edition

Post by Jurriaan »

Hello David, readers,

If there is a new score produced, I would be delighted if it also came als xml of mxl package, to make it available to even more people. In examining the errors, make sure to note that the well known Novello edition is also quite old, there are more modern Urtext editions. Personally I prefer Kings music, although hardly available.

An uncorrected XML would also be welcome....
Jurriaan
Posts: 3
Joined: 11 Oct 2016 14:14

Re: Dido and Aeneas, Fowler edition

Post by Jurriaan »

I see that there is a xml now also, great! I am working on a version where the choir is arranged to ssaa instead of satb, so that is fully singable by a treble choir (or girls school, as in Purcells time).
Jurriaan
Posts: 3
Joined: 11 Oct 2016 14:14

Re: Dido and Aeneas, Fowler edition

Post by Jurriaan »

Adding on the Corrections above:
P 82: is this movement 24-b or 25? it is 24b (25 is the next aria)
P 104 m 840 and 841: harpsichord RH should read B-flat A B-flat C D: I don't agree: BbABD C because of chords
845 harpsichord RH should read F-E D-G. : top notes should read A G
P 105 m 863 and 864: harpsichord LH rhythm should match voice and Basso rhythms.: this is an editorial Rhytm interpretation
M 864-865: harpsichord RH should read F A C B-flat / A D E. : I think the G in 865 is correct
Furthermore 863 should start with a rest and then f' f" c" a', Bass in 865 also E flat
m 891: soprano should read DGD (as in violin)
P 110 m 894 and 895: harpsichord LH rhythm should match Basso rhythm: see 863
950 and 951: harpsichord RH needs reworking: original reads D"F' - C" Bb' A' / G' C"G' Ab' B'G' / C"Eb' D Eb F C"G Bb'Eb' / A'F' A'F' ( b stands for flat)
p 125 m 1018: harpsichord RH lowest note should be D.: (instead of e, 6th note)
I might have tacitly corrected some other spots, be sensible on what is should sound llike

Needless to say that most of the Harpsichord RH is a somewhat outdated interpretation, but for many better than nothing. My Urtext edition from Kings music has an almost bare bass.
On IMSLP there are some readymade parts containing the same set of errors as Greg Johnson described....
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