Corrections and Additions to the Schirmer Vocal Score

There are currently three distinct piano-vocal scores of Siegfried in print: a dual-language edition published by G. Schirmer, New York, with a piano arrangement by Karl Klindworth and an English singing translation by Frederick Jameson; a German language edition published by C.F. Peters, Leipzig, arranged by Felix Mottl; and a new (2014) German language edition by Schott, Mainz, with a piano arrangement based on Klindworth's, but revised to conform to the Critical Edition full score edited by Klaus Döge and Egon Voss and published by Schott in 2002 (WWV 86C) [CE]. The latter is also available as an Eulenberg "miniature" (it weighs over four pounds) score, published in 2013. Other out-of-print editions of interest are the original (1871) Schott edition, with a somewhat more difficult piano reduction, also by Karl Klindworth; the first dual-language German-English edition published by Schott around 1883, arranged by R. Kleinmichel with a translation by Henrietta and Frederick Corder; and one by Breitkopf and Härtel, Leipzig, 1914, arranged by Otto Singer with an English translation by Ernest Newman.

The Schirmer edition is probably the most widely and readily available edition. It was originally issued in 1904 (plate #26800), with a 1900 copyright by B. Schott's Söhne, Wagner's publisher, assigned in 1904 to Schirmer. It was subsequently reissued as a public domain work in a slightly smaller format, bearing the plate #37217 (and perhaps others?). It is also available in reprint by Kalmus and by Polonius. The music and German text can be considered reasonably authoritative. Nevertheless, it contains a few typographical errors, and diverges in a number of places from that of the full score published by C.F. Peters (and reprinted by Dover), and, more importantly, from the Critical Edition. Also, like virtually all editions except for CE, it lacks rehearsal numbers. (The Breitkopf & Härtel edition has numbers that look confusingly like rehearsal numbers, but are in fact references to a set of tabulated leitmotifs!)

There are four sections to this page:

1. Musical corrections for all parts
2. Text corrections for all parts
3. Locations of Rehearsal numbers.
4. Singable variant text readings from the published libretto (as opposed to the score)

Musical Corrections

Note for Waldvogel

Corrections to the Sung Text

N.B. The Schirmer score uses an archaic spelling system (similar to Wagner's), and there are hundreds of differences from the modern German (which was standardized comparatively recently) of CE, e.g. diess for dies, Noth for Not, etc. Spelling variants are presented only when they would suggest a different pronunciation. Likewise, variants in punctuation and instructions are presented only when they suggest a significantly different affect.

Rehearsal Numbers

Differences between the Libretto and the Score

The score actually contains a great many differences from the published libretto. In most cases, only the score readings are permissible, as the alternatives would involve changes to the musical line. In some cases, however, either reading works. Ordinarily when a composer alters the the text of the libretto in the course of composition, that version must be accepted as the definitive final thought. In the case of Wagner the composer and Wagner the poet, however, a case can be made for consideration of the alternatives, especially when the libretto was that published in 1876 for the stage premiere of the Ring, a quarter century after its first publication. I am therefore providing a list of singable alternative readings from the original published libretto. These are only for consideration as options by the singers involved (in consultation with the music and stage directors of course). Examination of the alterations in meaning may also be helpful in fully understanding the subtleties and implications of the text.