Sheet Music Editions

[oceansoul]

Hello to all.

Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics. I'll be going with Chopin for now. Does anyone know if this collection is good? I mean, with all the fingerings correctly put? Would you recommend it?

Thank you.

[faulty_damper]

You'll get two different kinds of replies to your post.

1. Find your own fingering.

2. Schirmer is crap.

This has traditionally been the response to your question.

[db05]

Find something better. I have only a few books from my uncle here, but I can tell you right now that Alfred is better. I have the one with the editor's suggestions in light print, Chopin Selected Favorites. But then my uncle had some Schirmer, too. Not Chopin, though.

[allthumbs]

I doubt that anybody would be able to tell the difference between two polished performances of the same piece from different editions.

allthumbs

[oceansoul]

But I need to have the complete works in book. Nocturnes, Waltzes and the Preludes. Any other good edition recommended? About the own fingerings, I'll eventually have them, but it's good to have some good by default.

I found:

For the Preludes -
"Complete Preludes and Etudes for Solo Piano". Dover Publications.
"Chopin Preludes for the Piano". Alfred Masterwork Edition.

For the Waltzes -
"Waltzes for the Piano". Schirmer's.
"Waltzes and Scherzos". Dover Publications Inc.

For the Nocturnes
"Chopin : Nocturnes for the Piano". Schirmer's
"Nocturnes And Polonaises : The Paderewski Edition"

Are Dover Publications good?

Thanks.

[indutrial]

Are Dover Publications good?

They're a good way to save some $$$ and pretty handy as reference materials. Don't know how they stack up with the fingerings, but I thoroughly enjoy my Bach, Beethoven, and Liszt volumes I've picked up over the years.

[thalbergmad]

Are Dover Publications good?

Yes, as long as you don't need to open the book.

Then they fall to pieces.

Thal

[birba]

I doubt that anybody would be able to tell the difference between two polished performances of the same piece from different editions.

allthumbs
Right on!!!!!!!!

[oceansoul]

Then what should I be choosing? 
Imagine I could afford something better, which I probably can't except I can earn some money soon, what should I pick? I want something good, that would have good fingerings, good impression, and that I could leave open in front of the piano where I study. I can't be taking photocopies all the time. If I was to take photocopies, I have plenty of digital material. But I want a good edition. -.-

Thanks.

[db05]

If you don't want to photocopy, an alternative would be to take a book get it ring-bound. That usually works.

[mikey6]

Schirmer generally is crap.
Henle is standard across the board- generally the most reliable.  For Chopin, try the Ekier as well.

[richard black]

Some Schirmers are perfectly good, but a lot of them were done a long time ago and reflect the tastes of their period in all sorts of ways. Perhaps the worst feature of editions from long ago is that editors tended to add all sorts of markings, including some quite significant dynamics, even tempo markings, without indicating that the addition was editorial. You never really know what you're getting until you do a little research. For instance, the Schirmer editions of the Bach-Busoni Chaconne, and of the Rachmaninov 3rd piano concerto (both of which I own) are facsimile the same as the Breitkopf and original (whatever it was - Gutheil? - can't remember offhand) respectively. Given they are cheap, printed on OK paper and with an OK binding, they are a good buy.