The Kurt Weill Edition is a long-term publishing project, the goal of which is to present all of Kurt Weill’s completed musical works in new critical editions.

There has long been a pressing need for good editions of Weill’s music. In the decades since the composer’s death in 1950 and prior to the inception of the KWE, his musical legacy had been represented in print either by flawed editions or not at all. Only a small handful of his compositions for the stage had ever been published in full score. Several major theatrical works were never circulated in any form, and only a few orchestral and chamber compositions had been generally available.

The KWE was established in 1992 to address this basic need. For the first time, each of the composer’s completed and performable works will be presented in a form realizing the highest editorial standards and dedicated to use both by performers seeking accurate editions and scholars seeking authoritative texts. The diverse and multifaceted character of Weill’s oeuvre requires a careful re-examination of the conventions and assumptions of the collected critical edition (Gesamtausgabe) genre.

Since the 1996 publication of the first volume of the KWE, a facsimile edition of Weill’s holograph full score of Die Dreigroschenoper, the Weill Edition has received both critical praise and numerous awards, including the following:

The CLAUDE V. PALISCA AWARD of the American Musicological Society is among the most prestigious awards in the world recognizing excellence in the creation of scholarly editions and translations. Bestowed annually, the award pays tribute to the publication judged by a committee of scholars “to best exemplify the highest qualities of originality, interpretation, logic and clarity of thought, and communication.”

• Series I, Volume 13: Johnny Johnson

The PAUL REVERE AWARDS FOR GRAPHIC EXCELLENCE, bestowed by the Music Publishers Association of the United States, recognize “outstanding examples of graphic design, with an emphasis on usability for orchestras, educators, libraries and individuals.”

• Series I, Volume 1: Der Protagonist
• Series I, Volume 5: Die Dreigroschenoper
• Series I, Volume 13: Johnny Johnson
• Series I, Volume 21: Love Life
• Series II, Volume 1: Chamber Music
• Series II, Volume 2: Music with Solo Violin
• Series IV, Volume 2: Popular Adaptations, 1927–1950

For a full consideration

See the Foreword to the Kurt Weill Edition (also available in German).

See the KWE Brochure.