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Founded in 1924, Bärenreiter-Verlag publishes practical editions of music from antiquity to the present. Bärenreiter's most significant contribution has been the development of excellent performance editions based on the Urtext editions of composers including Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart.

Bärenreiter Urtext is the seal of quality. Compared to some older editions, the differences in the musical text are often so far reaching that Bärenreiter Urtext editions are audibly different.

The superior musicological standard of Bärenreiter Urtext editions does not diminish their practicality as performing editions. Starting in 1996, Bärenreiter has released a new Urtext edition of Beethoven's Symphonies edited by Jonathan Del Mar.

Music Editor Douglas Woodfull-Harris, and the rest of the Bärenreiter staff, will be answering your questions. Click here the ask the experts at Bärenreiter. Before you ask though, browse through our past questions to see if your question has already been answered.

Question: Is it possible to buy only the Fagotto I, II part to the J.S. Bach B minor Mass, without buying the complete set of wind parts?

Answer: Sorry we only sell the bassoon part as part of the wind set. However, Luck’s Music is able to provide individual wind parts to their publications.

Question: I was wondering what the most accurate editions of Brahms Symphony 2 and Dvorak Symphony 8 are? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: For Brahms' 2nd it's a toss up, between Breitkopf (Luck's #05210) and Henle; I'd take Henle. The only editions of the Dvorak are the Baerenreiter / Prague Complete Edition (#10550) and the old Simrock edition (#08664); I feel the Simrock more reliable.