Svendsen, Johan

Før Slaget av Edmund Neupert

Before the Battle by Edmund Neupert

([de]: Vor der Schlacht. Nordisches Tonbild von Edmund Neupert für Orchester bearbeitet von Johan Svendsen.)

Original title: Edmund Neupert (1842-1888): Før Slaget, Nordisk tonebilde for Claveer op. 24 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson tilegnet.

JSV 93

Johan Svendsen’s (1840–1911) orchestral arrangement of Edmund Neupert’s (1842–1888) piano piece Before the Battle was published by Wilhelm Hansen in 1895.

Nonetheless, there has been some confusion about the provenance of the arrangement. Olav Gurvin (1893–1974) had in 1939 seen the manuscript score and wrote an enthusiastic article in the Norwegian daily Aftenposten of 30 September that year about ‘a newly discovered early composition by Johan Svendsen’, Bryllupet på Dovre (Wedding at Dovre). Curiously, the manuscript of Before the Battle has a grey cover with ‘Bryllupet på Dovre’ written in red. There is a photo of a page from the score in the article showing that the work actually was Før slaget JSV 93. The fact that the manuscript is bound in a cover with the title "Bryllup på Dovre” has contributed to further the confusion about the work. In 2002 the CD-company Naxos released a CD with this work, under the wrong title, "Bryllupet på Dovre". As it happens, Wedding at Dovre was Svendsen’s original title for his Norwegian Artists’ Carnival, Op. 14, from 1874.

Neupert’s original work, Before the Battle, Nordic tone poem for piano, Op. 24, was first published in Copenhagen by E. Wagner and can also be found in several collections with music by Neupert.

Composition: 1895 (?).

Copenhagen

Alla marcia

Key: C minor

Extent: ca. 5 min.

Sources

S: Sketches

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, score, sketch]

4 pages; 34,5x26,5 cm.

Written in ink (Johan Svendsen).

DK-Km (Danish Music Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark) Nodemanuskripter, Ms. 178.

F: Fragment, autograph

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, score, fair copy, fragment]

12 pages; 35x27,5 cm.

Hand ruled music paper, 18 staves
One page of music (first page of score) followed by 11 blank pages.
Pagination: 13–24
Above the score: Før Slaget
Added (not in Svendsen’s handwriting): Har tilhørt Johan Svendsen (was owned by Johan Svendsen)

Written in ink (Johan Svendsen).

DK-Km (Danish Music Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark) Nodemanuskripter, Edmund Neupert.

A: Score, autograph

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, autograph, score, fair copy]

36 pages; 35x27 cm.

Hand ruled music paper, 20 staves
Pagination: 1–36

The grey cover was probably added to the score at a later date. The title on the cover, Brylluppet paa Dovre, is written in red crayon (not by Johan Svendsen) .
The da capo section is only partly written out, and some of the pages were written by a copyist.
The score contains two versions of the final bars. One of these has been crossed out.

Written in ink (Johan Svendsen). Additions in red crayon and blue crayon.

N-Onm (National Library of Norway, Oslo, Norway) Mus.ms. 1896a. Facsimile

Provenance: In the protocol of the library: En gave fra Fru Johan Svendsen 21/1-41. (A gift from Mrs. Svendsen 21/1-41) .

B: Score, copy

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, copy, score, fair copy]

40 pages.

Machine ruled music paper, 18 staves
Above the score: Brylupet på Dovre

Black and grey cover with the title Johan Svendsen: Bryllupet på Dovre

Written in ink. Additions in red crayon and blue crayon.

NRK, Notearkivet, Oslo, Norway.

B^PTS: Parts, copy

[Classification: notated music, manuscript, copy, score, fair copy]

Full set of parts by the same copyist as in Source B

Written in ink. Additions in red crayon, blue crayon and pencil.

NRK, Notearkivet, Oslo, Norway 658 L.

C: Printed score, first edition

[Classification: notated music, print, score, first edition]

Wilhelm Hansen, København & Leipzig 1895.

Title page: Vor der Schlacht. Nordisches Tonbild von Edmund Neupert für Orchester bearbeitet von Johan Svendsen.

Pl. no. 11746 .

C^PTS: Printed parts, first edition

[Classification: notated music, print, parts, first edition]

Wilhelm Hansen, København & Leipzig 1895.

Title page: Vor der Schlacht. Nordisches Tonbild von Edmund Neupert für Orchester bearbeitet von Johan Svendsen.

Pl. no. 11746.

D: Printed edition of Neupert's original

[Classification: notated music, print, score, first edition]

E. Wagners Forlag og Eiendom, København.

Title page: Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson tilegnet / Før Slaget / NORDISK TONEBILLEDE / for / CLAVEER / af / Edmund Neupert. / op. 24.