Exactly one year ago, when Christmas 2023 was just at the door, I (Andreas Pernpeintner) was also faced with the decision of whether or not to enter the Henle publishing house as an editor. Both came to pass, Henle and Christmas. People around me at the time asked whether AI would soon make the profession of music editor redundant. There’s no way of knowing, but the feeling of soon being virtually replaceable has yet to materialise. Of course, it would make no sense to refuse AI. Online translators are a blessing. Setting digital music notation without intelligent scan recognition software would be a time-consuming business. ChatGPT can help with research questions (but then, subsequently, be sure to fact-check) – or when preparing for the Henle Christmas party, where the ‘Henliden Chorus’ is traditionally heard. This is not a vocal sister work to the ‘Hebrides Overture’, but the entire singing publishing-house staff. One of the most amusing ways of using ChatGPT is to produce literary works according to certain content and stylistic guidelines. This is how, quickly, to succeed with a possible Henle Christmas party hit 2024:
ChatGPT
Christmas carol in the style of Walther von der Vogelweide
In frosty night the starry sky became clear,
the angel sang: ‘O Henliden in the field,
rejoice! The Christ Child was born to you today,
To save what the world has long since lost!’
A donkey bears the load with faithful tread,
the mother tightly holds her tiny babe.
From olden Urtext, tidings ring out today,
that in this hour God inclines towards mankind.
O great joy, the world is made anew,
Night flees away, morn joyously laughs.
The Henliden hasten, praise the Lord aloud,
the stars twinkling clear and near as far.
A donkey brays, the babe quietly slumbers,
The grace of God would show everyone:
Hope glows deeply entangled in the Urtext,
that we may attain happiness in His love.
Still lacking is the music. AI can do that too. But even in 2025, it will still be us who decide what Bach meant by an undefined inkblot in a manuscript. And it’s ultimately the inkblots that matter in music. That’s why wonderful, human-made editions are being prepared for the coming year, featuring the upcoming Ravel anniversary, the clarinet, Prokofiev or forgotten female composers. You can look forward to that.
Before then, we wish you a Merry Christmas, a wonderful, nourishing and hopefully musical holiday season and a Happy New Year!
From your Henle blog authors,
Norbert Gertsch
Peter Jost
Norbert Müllemann
Annette Oppermann
Andreas Pernpeintner
Dominik Rahmer