THE Guide to Piano Music Editions by a University Professor

[@HeatherThompsonSmits]

This is an incredible resource for pianists. It’s packed with valuable information about classical piano pieces. I’m inspired to learn these pieces you shared and I’m so excited to know what editions to use!

[@deborahhwang6894]

Thank you for this video! This was very helpful. 👍🏻

[@BrillantePianoLessons]

I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for letting me know!

[@Eeeeeee-j7o]

Nice video! For Chopin, I personally recommend the national edition by Jan Ekier. It is the most historically accurate, including ossia passages that are not included in any other edition obtained from Chopin's notes to his students, Chopin's original fingerings, details about the interpretation of the piece according to Chopin or his own students, or a prologue that includes all the written mentions that Chopin made to the pieces included in each book, and a small extra booklet that explains all the editorial decisions that have been made (notes that are difficult to read in the original manuscript, errors made in previous editions, etc.).Personally, I consider that it is by a wide margin the best edition of all his works, and it is the one recommended to participants in the Chopin competition.

[@BrillantePianoLessons]

Yes this is an excellent edition that I didn’t mention. Thank you for your input!

[@IrishGoat2828]

I did enjoy this video. Dover is good on a large amount of their stuff

[@BrillantePianoLessons]

I did recommend a few Dover editions, but most of the time I don’t prefer Dover. Thank you for your comment!

[@pablobear4241]

Some of my favorite editions. Inventions and Sinfonias - Busoni WTC - Busoni and Czerny Chopin - Cortot for everything, but, I do reference other ones sometimes. Kinderszenen - Godowsky! Any of Godowsky's editions K545, Beethoven (F major sonata and Apassionata I believe as well), Mozart 20, and some other stuff he's edited - Goldenweiser (anything edited by Goldenweiser is a goldmine both in fingerings, and specific details) Beethoven Sonatas complete - Schnabel or Arrau A lot of the fingerings in these editions are very inspiring and make you learn a lot, for example it is clear to me Godowsky practiced something like Traumeri without pedal and ensuring he has perfect finger legato based off the choices he makes. By using some of these editions it's given me a lot better of an insight on things, especially ones by Goldenweiser as well he always has very simple fingerings that are very pianistic and focus on even-ness in your passage playing by positions very smartly.

[@BrillantePianoLessons]

This is great information. Thank you so much!

[@chrisdann1226]

i liked the Bach edition of the Inventions that told me it was first published in 1723 - so yeah 300 years

[@BrillantePianoLessons]

That’s great! What’s the name of the publisher / editor?

[@AnonYmous-ry2jn]

The Paderewski edition of Chopin is much more controversial than this video suggests. Charles Rosen, among the 2 or 3 most eminent music scholars and pianists (( he was both; and many of his recordings and books are among the major classics) utterly loathed the Paderewski editions, and greatly admired the Mikuli edition. Dover used to publish the Paderewski edition until Mikuli came out of copyright protection, and then switched away from Paderwski, embracing Mikuli (who was a student of Chopin). AS to Brahms and Schumann, the Dovers seem very excellent and reliable. The Schumann set is edited by Clara Schumann and Brahms. I agree Schirmer is very problematic for baroque. But Ralph Kirkpatrick edited many editions for Schirmer, both Bach and Haydn. I don't think you can go wrong with Kirkpatrick editions of anything. Also, while I like the Schnabel edition very much, I would only use it in conjunction with others for comparison. I like the Kalmus urtext versions of the Beethoven sonatas,, but Kalmus at some point started using very cheap printing techniques, which make the score virtually illegible in many parts, as if they went to the library to copy them on an ill-maintained antique Xerox machine. You will hurt your eyes with these editions,and avoid the newer printings at all costs. The older printings of the same editions were/are high quality.

[@BrillantePianoLessons]

It sounds like you are very knowledgeable on this topic! Are you a teacher? What’s your background? I’ve used a lot of different editions over the years and this video is about recommending editions that I feel help guide pianists the best. Thanks for your comment!