With the Ninth Symphony, a new chapter of publishing history began for Bärenreiter in 1996. Today, the editions by Jonathan Del Mar and others have become standard in the music world – and this will be the case for the 2027 anniversary year.

Goethe’s “Faust” fascinated poets, composers and artists – and well beyond Germany. The works by Hector Berlioz and Charles Gounod are the best-known adaptations.

“Memory is something sacred”, wrote Thomas Daniel Schlee in a work commentary. “In order to keep it alive, humanity has invented ritual, has invented repetition imbued with deep meaning, for in memory, knowledge transcends the confines of time.” He was a composer whose multifaceted body of work was characterised not only by masterly musical development and a sensuousness of sound, but was also always contained within an intellectual framework which stretched far beyond purely technical-musical thinking. “Thomas Daniel Schlee is an open spirit and a cultured man. He loves music passionately”, is how his teacher Olivier Messiaen summed him up: “He is an outstanding organist and an extremely gifted composer. His works reflect a high intellectual striving and a true originality with regard to their ‘écriture’ and sound colours.”

Hardly any other myth is as closely associated with the history of music theatre as that of the singer Orpheus. Of the many works on this subject, some which stand out are available from Bärenreiter · Alkor.

“Martinů and his World” is the theme of the Summer Festival in August 2025 in Bard, 170 km north of New York, once again offering an opportunity for discoveries and renewed encounters with his music.

Cassandra Miller’s (b. 1976) compositions make an indelible impression. “Music this uncalculatedly beautiful leaves you almost desperate with gratitude”, wrote Alex Ross of Miller’s motet “The City, Full of People” in the “New Yorker”. Canadian-born and London-based, her creative wellsprings are as varied as J.S. Bach, Kurt Cobain, Maria Callas, and birdsong, from which she fashions music of unerring immediacy, often drawing on forms of creative transcription. “The Guardian” hailed her Duet for Cello and Orchestra as one of finest compositions of the 21st century.

The composer Giselher Klebe was born in Mannheim on 28 June 1925. His 100th anniversary offers an opportunity to re-examine his extensive output.