Concerto op. 42

"Schönberg’s Piano Concerto op. 42 was written in 1942 during his exile on the Pacific coast of California. A first sketch dates from June of that year; the fair copy of the short score was already finished at the end of December. In addition to the piano part it contains the orchestral setting in reduced form, condensed onto a few staves. However, it already displays all specifications concerning the instrumentation and is also completely marked-up in terms of dynamics and phrasing. This easily readable fair-copy autograph is a central document of the work’s transmission and is now published here for the first time in a facsimile edition, made in cooperation with the Arnold Schönberg Center, Vienna. In their scholarly introduction, the two Schönberg experts Therese Muxeneder and Katharina Bleier present the history of the work and its formal conception in exemplary fashion, and at the same time explain the special features of the manuscript. Additionally, and in a separate chapter, Verena Graf describes how the autograph was painstakingly restored shortly before being reproduced in this facsimile. Produced in high-quality four-colour printing, wrapped in Pacific blue and bound in fine linen, the edition offers a fascinating insight into Schönberg’s notation and compositional thinking. A worthy contribution by G. Henle Publishers and the Arnold Schönberg Center to Arnold Schönberg’s 150th birthday in 2024!"