Luigi Boccherini's Cello Concerto in B-Flat Major, G.482: Creating a Performance Edition through a Critical Study of the 'Original' Version and Friedrich Grützmacher's Edition

The Cello Concerto in B-flat major, G.482, by Italian composer Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805), is the composer's most beloved work for the instrument, as well as one of the most performed pieces in the Classical concerto repertoire. Historically, cellists performing this work have used an edition prepared by German cellist Friedrich Grutzmacher (1832-1903). However, an 'original' version that was discovered in 1949 is significantly different from that of Grutzmacher. A comparison of both editions has revealed that Grutzmacher in fact made considerable modifications to Boccherini's 'original.' Along with the issue of having two editions, cellists that have played the 'original' edition have noted that there are certain practical and interpretative matters that are not favorable to the cellist, particularly in terms of the way the music is notated and how it lacks many details. This dissertation provides clarity to these issues by undertaking a comprehensive analysis of both editions in order to make cellists become aware of the differences between both editions by comparing musical elements from a performance practice viewpoint. In addition, I discuss relevant issues that are present in the 'original' version, ultimately providing an alternative performance edition to this score that is based on historically informed performance (HIP) practices. Finally, I hope to draw attention on how a performance edition like this can be useful as a rare critical source to one of the major works from the eighteenth-century cello repertoire.