IMSLP Forums

I'm assuming that this edition will become public domain next year, similar to most of the "Neue Gesamtausgabe" (already on IMSLP). This edition has only the first three movements; Cohrs' work with others on reconstructing the fourth movement was published elsewhere. The main question is whether it is an urtext edition, in which case the 25-year copyright term applies; my belief is that it is.

MWV issued a (corrected?) reprint in 2005, but I'm assuming that that won't affect the PD status. Compare the NGA edition of the Symphony No. 5 (#563860), also reprinted in 2005 (originally 1951).

If the edition was heavily edited or is a completion of the work done by an editor, then that won't be covered under the Critical Edition rule, rather under the standard Life + 50 or 70 year rule depending on the region were talking about here.

Sallen112 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 28, 2025 5:44 am If the edition was heavily edited or is a completion of the work done by an editor, then that won't be covered under the Critical Edition rule, rather under the standard Life + 50 or 70 year rule depending on the region were talking about here.

That's the main question - how much editing is "heavy"? The musical text in this case is essentially the same as that in the previous Orel (#562469) and Nowak (#566255) editions.

If it is lightly edited with little to no musical changes, then it might be possible to accept this. But again, it really depends on how extensive the edits the editor made on it. If alot of changes were made (changes with notation, slurs added or removed or changed, new dynamics, bowings in the strings those especially can be copyrighted as well, sections cut or added, etc.), then its probably in the area of being under copyright everywhere most likely. But if it is the same, like basically a reprint (is this a reprint of an earlier engraving?), then that would make this basically PD then everywhere. It always can help to know what the preface might say in the edition on what he did exactly.

Assuming the edition your talking about was edited by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs (1965-2023), anything original by him would put the edition under copyright everywhere of course. But again the changes would really need to be on the side of light to no changes by him of the composer's work (it would still have to be basically a 1:1 of the manuscript, that is what makes it "Urtext"). Also a completion of the 4th movement of the 9th Symphony by him would still be off limits of Bruckner then, so only the first three movement or up the incomplete state of the 4th movement can be acceptable.