Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Since its founding in 1948, G. Henle Verlag has established an enviable reputation, its iconic dusty-blue Urtext editions a familiar and esteemed presence in homes, teaching studios, conservatoires, and concert halls around the world.
If Henle’s reputation for meticulous scholarship and exceptional engraving is well established, its openness to innovation is equally commendable. The Henle Library digital initiative, in particular, demonstrates how technology can enhance access to music while remaining true to the publisher’s commitment to quality and aesthetic values.
Over the years, Henle has forged relationships with distinguished musicians, from Claudio Arrau, Arthur Rubinstein and Yehudi Menuhin to more recent collaborators such as András Schiff and Murray Perahia, whose fingerings feature in the publisher’s Bach and Beethoven piano editions respectively.
Today, their print library has expanded to include some 1500 urtext scores, including complete composer editions through to performer-friendly scores of the great core repertoire, in many cases unsurpassed. We might wonder where they might go next.
Enter Henle Horizons, a new imprint that promises to deliver “Discoveries, Arrangements, Studies”, and arrives with burnt orange covers replacing the established dusty blue livery. For pianists, the first two volumes in this new series are Hummel’s Piano Sonata in F# minor Op,81 (which I will review separately) and Manuel de Falla’s delicious Serenata andaluza, the subject of this review.
After introducing the piece itself, this review will focus on the advent of the Henle Horizons series more broadly, exploring how it is distinct from the Henle Urtext editions we know and love…
Serenata andaluza
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) is regarded as a pivotal figure in 20th-century Spanish music, celebrated for his ability to blend traditional Spanish folk elements with contemporary European styles, particularly French Impressionism. His works are characterised by vibrant rhythms, rich textures, and a deep emotional resonance that captures the essence of Spanish culture.
Falla’s most notable compositions include Noches en los jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain), the ballets El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) and El amor brujo (Love, the Sorcerer) and the one-act opera La vida breve (Life is Short). His best-known solo piano pieces include Cuatro piezas españolas (Four Spanish Pieces) and the popular Fantasía bœtica.
The Serenata andaluza dates from around the time Falla completed his studies, and is among the earliest works where his distinctive style begins to emerge. First performed by the composer in Madrid on 6 May 1900, the piece was published around 1902. Henle’s new edition is based on that first edition, correcting several apparent engraving errors and, according to the publisher, resolving inconsistencies in the score.
Although written firmly in the late Romantic tradition, the Serenata andaluza combines colourful modal harmony and evocative flamenco gestures, anticipating his later work. The piece has been championed on disc by Javier Perianes, who also performs it as an encore.
Here is a live performance by Perianes, recorded in Frankfurt:
Playing this music for the first time, my initial estimate is that it would suit early advanced pianists, at around Grade 8 to first-diploma level. The wide-ranging left-hand arpeggios present an obvious technical challenge, while the music’s character depends on sensitive dynamic shaping and careful control of its textures.
Henle’s new edition presents the piece across eight spaciously engraved pages, printed on cream paper using a clear music font.. No fingering suggestions are included, and as suggested above the score appears to be a cleaned-up version of the first edition.
Falla’s Serenata andaluza is a charming piece that deserves wider recognition. Hopefully, its appearance in Henle’s new imprint will help more pianists discover it.
Henle Horizons
This brings us to a consideration of how Henle Horizons differs from the classic Henle Urtext series. In their marketing materials the publisher explain,
“Going beyond the renowned blue Urtext editions, Horizons, with its warm orange covers, opens up new perspectives. The imprint brings together new discoveries and exciting additions to the repertoire, arrangements of well-known works for alternative scorings, studies for orchestral instruments, and pedagogically oriented editions.”
In terms of piano repertoire, as well as Falla’s Serenata andaluza and the aforementioned Hummel Sonata, the brochure announces three other forthcoming editions:
- Alfred Grünfeld’s Soirée de Vienne Op.56
- Moritz Moszkowski’s Étincelles Op.36 No.6
- Christian Sinding’s Rustle of Spring, Op.32 No.3.
This is a revealing list, which suggests that Henle intends to use the new imprint to broaden its repertoire beyond the core works featured in their familiar Urtext series. The emphasis appears to be on music and editions that do not necessarily fit the established profile of the blue-cover catalogue, while expanding the catalogue and still benefiting from Henle’s reputation for quality.
The prospect of Rustle of Spring is particularly interesting, since rival Wiener Urtext publishes the complete original collection from which it comes. Henle’s decision to publish the individual piece may suggest that Horizons will provide a home for shorter works that can be presented economically and accessibly as standalone editions, as with Falla’s Serenata andaluza.
Turning to the publications themselves, these are distinguished not only by having covers in the contrasting orange hue, but will typically feature a shorter, compact Preface, no critical commentary, and will not include full editorial fingering.
In the case of the two editions I have received, I note with some surprise that they have not even credited the editor, and the Preface is simply credited to “Henle Publishers”. Perhaps they are looking to position these editions as less stuffy in tone, aimed squarely at performers.
Even so, Horizons retains many of the production values for which Henle is known. The publisher explains:
“Horizons upholds the standards of quality that have distinguished Henle editions for more than 75 years: reliable musical texts reflecting comprehensive research and meticulous preparation, presented in editions designed and produced with the needs of performers in mind.”
Specifically, they list the inclusion of footnotes, fold-out pages, high-quality offset printing, “Henle quality” music engraving paper, cover board, and binding. Finally, all the Horizons editions will also be available digitally via the Henle Library app.
While a paucity of editorial content hardly represents a selling-point, taking the distinctive qualities of the series as a whole, I feel optimistic that Henle Horizons can therefore be welcomed as a budget-friendly but wholly reliable series that will further expand the reach and expertise of this revered publishing house, while offering them a more experimental platform for doing so.
Closing Thoughts
As promised, in this review I have divided my attention between Falla’s gorgeous Serenata andaluza and the new Henle Horizons imprint more broadly. The piece deserves to be better known, and this attractive new edition offers a welcome opportunity to discover it.
Perhaps Horizons represents a more flexible publishing format rather than a genuinely different editorial philosophy. Either way, I am enthusiastic about the possibilities. The new imprint could bring less familiar repertoire to a wider audience through attractive, dependable editions, while allowing Henle to respond more flexibly to performers’ needs, without compromising the standards or identity of its established catalogue.
I hope that you have found my overview of both helpful, and please remember to subscribe to free Pianodao updates for more reviews soon, including of the Hummel Sonata mentioned above.
And in the meantime, don’t hesitate to pick up a copy of the Serenata andaluza if you want to have a play through it yourself!
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