Editing Strategies for Overcoming Instrumentation Issues in Rebay’s Großes Duo in a-Moll

This article looks at contextual and interpretive issues surrounding the Großes Duo in a-Mollby Viennese composer Ferdinand Rebay (1880-1953). After situating Rebaywithin thecontemporary guitar developments in Vienna, I contextualize the piece and highlight its signif icance as a one-of-a-kind Romantic sonata for guitar duo. Next, I look at the potential diff iculties of incorporating it into the repertoire of modern guitar duos due to Rebay’s use of a near-obsolete instrument, the Quintbass Gitarre, whilealso offering a brief organological investigation. Finally, I describe in detail my attempts to adapt the piece to the instrumentation of my ensemble, the NOVAGuitar Duo. Backed up by an extensive familiarity with the composer’s style, I endeavour to intervene in the text, not only for playability reasons but also to rebalance melodic material in the fashion of traditional guitarduo and domestic Austro-German chambermusic writing.