Colloquy: A Case for a Critical Edition of the Complete Works of Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679–1745)

Abstract

Abstract The wealth of new source discoveries alongside an enormous growth in performing and recording of the music of Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679–1745) over the last twenty years signals a pressing need for a critical edition of his complete works, including a thorough revision of the Zelenka-Werke-Verzeichnis (ZWV). The contributions to this colloquy consider principles around the composition of an editorial team, questions of methodology, cross-border collaborations, strategies for publication of volumes, integration of online and print elements, and lessons that can be learned from other editorial projects. The authors further reflect on how a new critical edition can effectively meet specific needs of performance contexts, and how music analysis—generally absent from Zelenka studies—informs the editorial enterprise in essential ways.