Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst

Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst (literally "Monuments of German musical art") is a historical edition of music from Germany, covering the Baroque and Classical periods.

The edition comprises two series: the first appeared in sixty-five volumes between 1892 and 1931, and the second, which was subtitled Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Bayern (Monuments of musical art in Bavaria), in thirty-six volumes between 1900 and 1931. The first series was issued by a Prussian royal commission of celebrity musicians and musicologists in instalments through the music publishers Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, and the second by the Society for the Publication of Monuments of Musical Art in Bavaria.

A parallel series of volumes on Austrian composers, Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich (Monuments of musical art in Austria), was begun in 1959, and as at 2015-10-25 is in progress at one hundred and fifteen volumes.

References to these editions in this article in common with general practice use the acronyms DdT, DTB, and DTO, and to the Münchener Digitalisierungs Zentrum Digitale Bibliothek with MDZ.

Between 1957 and 1961 the First Series was revised and re-issued by the publishers under the editorship of H. J. Moser again in sixty-five volumes.

In 1962 revision of the Second Series of DdT (i.e., DBT) was begun. By 1970 three volumes (9, 20, and 22) had been revised. San Francisco Public Library lists volumes 34, and 36, with date 1962.

In 1967 the publication of a neue Folge (new series) of DdT : DBT with the same musical content was started by the Gesellschaft für Bayerische Musikgeschichte (Society for Bavarian Music History) via Breitkopf & Härtel. The DdT was dropped and the new series entitled "Denkmaeler der Tonkunst in Bayern". The editors decided on volumes of musical scores, and book-format special volumes (Sonderbände). As at 2015-10-25 twenty-four volumes of musical scores have been published, and two special volumes. Breitkopf & Härtel's catalogue refers.

The Münchener Digitalisierungszentrum (Munich Digitization Centre) of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (State Library of Bavaria) has published the 1892 DdT, and 1900 DBT, online.

The genesis of DdT is indicated by the title page to Volume One: Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst herausgegeben durch eine von der königlich Preussischen Regierung berufene Commission (Monuments of German musical art edited by the Commission appointed by the Royal Prussian Government)

The Kingdom of Prussia was ruled at its peak by Emperor William II (1859-1941), and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898). After the resignation of the Chancellor in 1890, the Emperor also presided over the fall of the kingdom. The production of DdT began in 1892, and continued throughout the First World War until 1931 and nearly the start of the Third Reich (1933-1945): an example perhaps of ars longa, vita brevis. The life of DdT was largely independent of the fall of Prussia, and its significance was tempered by the changes in Europe after 1918, and after 1945. The re-evaluation of its contents in the period 1959 to 1970 may be an indication either of the lasting value of the works of older composers from a modern perspective, or of a tendency to retain nationalism in music in some degree. The philosophy of Musica Britannica may hold a similar place in England.

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