Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich (DTÖ): History and Editorial Program

Being the oldest edition series founded on the idea of musical monuments and still active, the Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich (DTÖ: Monuments of Art Music in Austria) has published important works of Austria’s music history over the period of the last 120 years. More than 150 volumes of the series comprise critical editions of music from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. The DTÖ Society was founded in 1893 on the initiative of Guido Adler, one of the pioneers of modern musicology, and the first professor of the discipline at the University of Vienna. Adler was chief editor for many decades until the society was suspended by the Nazi regime during the World War II. Eduard Hanslick served as the society’s first president. Among the members of the editorial board we find famous scholars and artists such as Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. This article summarizes the history of the DTÖ Society, gives an overview of the past editions, and portrays a few volumes that turned out to be milestones in musicological research. Plans for future editions are also discussed.