Best Publisher for Bach?

[extremelyfatchicken]

I need an edition of Goldberg Variations but I can't decide on the publisher.
So far I've considered Henle Verlag, Wiener urtext, and Baerenreiter.  I've heard the Baerenreiter is great for Bach but I noticed in the info that it only had 47 pages while the other editions had around 60 pages.
Has anybody bought a piece by Bach from any of these publishers? 

[ladybug10]

I generally use Henle for Bach. I used Henle for Goldberg too and was happy with it. It is a very good edition and they do have good fingerings as well.

[birba]

Just for the fun of it, look at Busoni's edition.  A lot of interesting tips.

[richard black]

Yup, recommendation for Busoni's edition seconded - it's put out by Breitkopf and Härtel, by the way.

And yes, for most purposes the Henle editions are just fine.

[iumonito]

To work out the notes, you might as well use Dover.

Barenreiter has generally very good notes and are very well researched, although I have not reviewed their BWV 988.  Their partitas and WTC are solid.

Henle is visually very pleasing, with its big fat notes.  Their Bach is much better researched than their edition of other composers (Beethoven, for example, which is frankly unacceptable).  again, I have not reviewed their BWV 988, but the partitas and the WTC are very good.

Barenreiter is better generally at acknowledging their editorial choices directly on the score.  Henle often gives you a chosen version on the score and buries the other options in the preface.

You should not be lazy about this and study various sources.  And after you do, I find it of little importance what it is you have in front of you when you are practicing.

BTW, Busoni's "suggestions" on the Goldberg Variations are particularly outlandish.  You should seriously not start your research there, unless what you want to play is the Bach-Busoni Goldberg Variations (which you may!)

One more note, check out the articles on Bach's handexemplar (like https://www.jstor.org/pss/831018) and the Quintillian connection (https://www.qub.ac.uk/~tomita/essay/cu4.html).  Live happily!

[birba]

Thanks iumonito!  That second article was especially interesting and detailed.  One should never begin with the busoni edition!  It's only a different way to look at it AFTER you've gone through the urtext phase. 

[mnmleung]

I bought a copy of Kirkpatrick's 1934 edition (Schirmer) of the Goldberg Variations.  I haven't had the courage to start work on it yet.  Anyone care to share their opinions on this particular edition?

[pianoplayjl]

I generally use Verlag for his preludes and fugues.

[danhuyle]

Urtext Editions - Budapest, G Henle Verlag

[pianoplayjl]

I really recommend verlag.