La Mer

Instrumentation: Flöte (2), Piccoloflöte, Oboe (2), Englischhorn, Klarinette (2), Fagott (3), Kontrafagott, Horn (4), Trompete (3), Kornett (2), Posaune (3), Tuba, Pauke (3), Große Konzert-Trommel, Becken, Triangel, Tamtam / Chau Gong, Glockenspiel (Celesta), Harfe (2), Violine (2), Viola, Cello, Kontrabass

• New Urtext edition with numerous corrections in comparison to other editions
• Important sources which were previously inaccessible have been taken into account
• Score and orchestral parts in large format (25.5 x 32.5cm)
• Score and orchestral parts with an impeccable, generous layout
• Includes an informative introduction (Eng/Fr/Ger), facsimiles, source descriptions and a Critical Commentary (Eng)

“La Mer”, which is an impressionistic work through and through, was composed between 1903-1905. Debussy, however, refined this work up until at least 1913. These corrections are found in a score which Debussy gave to his wife as a present for her private library in 1913.

The new scholarly-critical edition draws on several important sources previously unavailable to musicologists, resulting in an array of new readings and corrections. In addition, there are many changes, especially in terms of articulation and dynamics.

This new edition includes the famous “fanfare” in Movement III, clearly marked in small print and brackets. This fanfare was excised in the 1910 reissue of the work, but was reinstated by a number of great conductors who knew Debussy, i.e. Monteux, Münch, Mitropoulos and Ansermet. They felt that the excision was a misunderstanding and that the fanfare was necessary for the structure of the movement.

And so, the Bärenreiter edition presents the revival of a performing tradition which is committed to the fanfare.