Mahler as Editor: the 1899 Vienna Hofoper Production of Bärenhäuter

Student: Chet Humphries
Faculty: Joy Calico
Course: Senior Honors Thesis

Description

My project examines archival sources I worked with in Vienna (Mahler’s performance materials from the 1899 production of Siegfried Wagner’s Bärenhäuter) and tries to establish a revision history for the opera, and assess to what extent Mahler’s aesthetic sensibilities are imprinted on the opera as a result of his involvement. The score examples are encoded using MEI and rendered in Verovio, which allows the reader to interact with the score and view an excerpt at any point in its revision history.

What knowledge or skills did you learn?

MEI, HTML, Verovio, archival research techniques, and more about Mahler’s creative process as an editor and opera conductor

What made this project interesting for you?

As a prospective musicologist, this was my first time getting to do real hands-on research in the field, and it revolves around Mahler, who is a composer of special interest for me.