Wind Music Heritage: A Project in Progress

The intended plan of the WASBE–IGEB Heritage Project is to revive forgotten wind band and ensemble compositions that exist only as manuscripts or out-of-print editions. Its goal is to digitise, edit and publish these works for modern performance while preserving historical authenticity. WASBE handles practical aspects like preparing performance-ready editions, while IGEB focuses on musicological research. The project involves searching archives and private collections to prevent the loss of valuable manuscripts, addressing challenges such as copyright, funding and considering "urtext" principles with contemporary instrumentation. Editions may include versions for original and modern instruments, supported by detailed Critical Commentaries to ensure scholarly transparency. This initiative covers full wind bands, brass and fanfare bands, chamber music, and works combining voices and winds. Ultimately, the project aims to safeguard cultural heritage and make historically significant wind music accessible to musicians and audiences worldwide.