UNESCO

[Peter]

"The original manuscript of the Ninth Symphony, is now officially a part of UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. In a ceremony on 2nd feb at the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, Verena Metz-Mangold, of the German National Commission for UNESCO, handed over the Memory of the World Certificate to Graham Jefcoate, of the Berlin State Library, where the manuscript is deposited. UNESCO's Memory of the World Register lists documentary heritage that which has been identified by the International Advisory Committee in its meetings in Tashkent (September 1997), in Vienna (June 1999) and in Cheongju City (June 2001) and endorsed by the Director-General of UNESCO as corresponding the selection criteria for world significance."

I should have thought the whole of Beethoven's oeuvre should meet the criteria!




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'Man know thyself'

[lysander]

Peter, this is wonderful news, but at the same time it does not surprise me that Beethoven's 9th should be selected has having world significance.

I wholeheartedly agree that the whole of Beethoven's oeuvre would meet the criteria.

In particular the 9th, as it is a symphony that has sympathy with the whole of humanity, which makes it the wonderful musical revelation that could be desired, or that ever likely to be devised.

It has been performed at peace making events, such as the dismantling of the Berlin Wall.

It a Symphony of "triumph over tragedy"
"redemption through art"
and of "Joy and Hope"

When I listen to the awesome works such as the 9th, It occurs to me that we still do not understand the depths of this staggering Genius.
I feel the same about the late string quartets.


Lysander.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
"The original manuscript of the Ninth Symphony, is now officially a part of UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. In a ceremony on 2nd feb at the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, Verena Metz-Mangold, of the German National Commission for UNESCO, handed over the Memory of the World Certificate to Graham Jefcoate, of the Berlin State Library, where the manuscript is deposited. UNESCO's Memory of the World Register lists documentary heritage that which has been identified by the International Advisory Committee in its meetings in Tashkent (September 1997), in Vienna (June 1999) and in Cheongju City (June 2001) and endorsed by the Director-General of UNESCO as corresponding the selection criteria for world significance."

I should have thought the whole of Beethoven's oeuvre should meet the criteria!

Have they selected stuff from any other composer?


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[lysander]

UNESCO have also declared the 23rd, April,
(Shakespeare's birthday) as the annual 'World Book Day'.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
Have they selected stuff from any other composer?

Not that I am aware of, but possibly unless they just want one work.

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'Man know thyself'

[chopithoven]

Originally posted by Peter:
"The original manuscript of the Ninth Symphony, is now officially a part of UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. In a ceremony on 2nd feb at the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, Verena Metz-Mangold, of the German National Commission for UNESCO, handed over the Memory of the World Certificate to Graham Jefcoate, of the Berlin State Library, where the manuscript is deposited. UNESCO's Memory of the World Register lists documentary heritage that which has been identified by the International Advisory Committee in its meetings in Tashkent (September 1997), in Vienna (June 1999) and in Cheongju City (June 2001) and endorsed by the Director-General of UNESCO as corresponding the selection criteria for world significance."

I should have thought the whole of Beethoven's oeuvre should meet the criteria!

How many sheets compose the manuscript? Are they stored in a pile, one above the other? I imagine that can't be possible, right?

[Peter]

Originally posted by chopithoven:
How many sheets compose the manuscript? Are they stored in a pile, one above the other? I imagine that can't be possible, right?

I've no idea but I can give some info on his manuscript paper. It would have been handmade and unlike todays, wider than its length at about 23x32cm. He would generally purchase a book consisting of 96 leaves and 16 staves for most purposes. Incidentally the watermarks on the paper have been very useful in dating sketches and autograph scores pretty accurately as he tended not to store large stocks of unused paper for any length of time.

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'Man know thyself'

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by Peter:
I've no idea but I can give some info on his manuscript paper. It would have been handmade and unlike todays, wider than its length at about 23x32cm. He would generally purchase a book consisting of 96 leaves and 16 staves for most purposes. Incidentally the watermarks on the paper have been very useful in dating sketches and autograph scores pretty accurately as he tended not to store large stocks of unused paper for any length of time.

Does anyone know how music was published in those days? I think in Bach's time it needed to be engraved on copper sheets by hand for reproduction, but perhaps by Beethoven's time there was a mechanical process? Either the staves would have to printed first and then the paper fed thru the press again for the notes, or if one impression was used, the small section of the staff would have to be part of the movable type along with the individual note. Interesting to speculate on, anyway.

Chaszz

[This message has been edited by Chaszz (edited February 10, 2003).]