Who is your favorite publisher?

[kclee6337]

This subject came up a few months ago while a fellow student and I were comparing our editions of books. I have always tried purchasing henle verlag urtext when ever I can.  I like the plain blue covers combined with the type of paper used as well as how clear the notes are to read with their fingerings they have.

I was comparing an edition i have of henle verlag to a dover edition and i became so frustrated with the dover i almost threw away all my music that wasn't the henle verlag.

So my question to you is who  is your favorite publisher/edition etc. and why?

I would've made this into a poll but there are far to many to name.

[49410enrique]

Yamaha Music Media Japan. The scores are well laid out, the page turns make sense. The print is type is dark and easily read/legible (good size etc), scores are attractive and have beutiful illustrations . They are the only ones that publish many of the sets of pieces I treasure most in my collection.

https://www.ymm.co.jp/

For works published by various folks, I tend to like Schott the most, for "Urtexts" I like their Weiner Urtexts (the bright orange ones) these are under the Schott - Universal Edition Banner.

https://www.wiener-urtext.com/index.htm

[j_menz]

Don't really have a favourite, just so long as it holds together, the pages turn easily (and stay open) and the score is accurate and easy to read.

Kalmus editions appear to fail on all counts in my experience.

[philb]

I prefer a good old Henle when I can find one, the binding alone is worth it. Vienna/Weiner Urtext is a runner up.

[richard black]

Yeah, can't really improve on Henle. Beautiful typography, thoughtful layout with respect to page turns etc., nice paper, nice binding, Urtext, good introductory notes...

Dover isn't actually an 'edition' as such. The company puts out facsimile reprints of old, out-of-copyright editions. Now that they seem to have given up on those horrible 'perfect' bindings I can once again say they do the reissuing bit of it very well, but the editions themselves are variable and in some cases regrettable. All the same, I'm very grateful for them for, e.g., Brahms complete songs, Medtner piano sonatas, Mahler 'Wunderhorn' songs (only way you can get all of them in one volume) and much more. Incidentally, anyone know where to get a Dover reprint of the Alkan minor-key studies? They had that in the catalogue for about 10 minutes and I stupidly didn't buy it when I saw it on the shelf.

[j_menz]

Incidentally, anyone know where to get a Dover reprint of the Alkan minor-key studies? They had that in the catalogue for about 10 minutes and I stupidly didn't buy it when I saw it on the shelf.

It's on Amazon, here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486400662/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

(already ordered my copy)

[ronde_des_sylphes]

It's on Amazon, here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486400662/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

(already ordered my copy)

I'm not sure the Dover reprint includes the full op.39 set. I saw a Dover Alkan edition, with foreword by Hamelin, many years ago and don't think it was the full op.39. Of course it could be a different Dover book or my memory could be at fault; in any case I didn't buy it as I already had the Billaudot. (Note that the Dover book - which includes other pieces - is 240 pages; the two Billaudot books which comprise op.39 are 276 pages).

[j_menz]

I'm not sure the Dover reprint includes the full op.39 set.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't, but it does also include some other stuff (Aesop's Feast, the Barcarolle etc).

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Not that there's a lot of point in being pedantic, but Le Festin d'Esope is in the op.39. Looks like the Concerto, Symphonie, Le Festin and miscellaneous others.

[j_menz]

Not that there's a lot of point in being pedantic, but Le Festin d'Esope is in the op.39. Looks like the Concerto, Symphonie, Le Festin and miscellaneous others.

So it is. For some reason I always think it's in 35. Me bad! 

The others are : Saltarelle, Op. 23; Barcarolle, Op. 65, No. 6; and Toccatina, Op. 75.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

G. Henle Verlag

They look soo cool!  And no matter how many pages it is, it's always skinny!

When I buy them at the music store, I feel like a Horowitz.  But then I start practicing...

[asuhayda]

Gotta go with Henle Verlag on this one... definitely one of the best out there.

[davidjosepha]

Like almost everyone else here, Henle is my top choice. They make a great product and I'm willing to pay the extra money for it. I'll add a few thoughts on other publishers though too.

For things Henle doesn't provide (which is a lot of Russian music), I get the Boosey & Hawkes, but I do it half-grudgingly. The books hold up well, but the print quality is poor as well as inconsistent (my Prokofiev sonatas book has a visibly different print style for each separate sonata).

For things neither of them have, I've been pleasantly surprised with a couple things from Chester Music in this design: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/Three-Novelettes/4956176

Lastly, if I want a huge stack of music for cheap and don't really care about quality, Dover is the way to go.

[richard black]

Ah, yes, Dover has kindly brought back the Alkan! Thanks for the link.

[ionian_tinnear]

I also go with G. Henle Verlag whenever I can.  I have only found one score that appears to have errors.  The Albeniz - Suite Espanol

I had a copy of the piece from another publisher that I gave to a student thinking I'd just get another for myself.  Surprise, surprise, I couldn't find a copy by that other publisher, so I got Henle since I trust them.  A few notable differences, and a could glaring errors!  So I got a copy from a 3rd publisher, had the same errors as with Henle!

So, is it the first publisher that was in error, since the next two at agree with each other?  I don't think so as the worst errors are quite obviously wrong notes.  Good thing I knew the suite well and was able to 'correct' my new scores!

Of course it could also be a case of the first score that I learned the suite from is the one I'm used to..

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Half of the pages from my Kalmus WTC fell out all at once.

WORST publisher ever! 

How do they make their books?!  Do they have preschoolers do it?!

[asuhayda]

Half of the pages from my Kalmus WTC fell out all at once.

BUSTED!!! You are a closet Bach lover! HAHAHA!!

[williampiano]

I usually try to get the Alfred editions whenever I can. They don't actually print a very large assortment of music, mostly just standard repertoire. But I like using what they do print because it usually has lots of good fingering.

[davidjosepha]

Half of the pages from my Kalmus WTC fell out all at once.

WORST publisher ever! 

How do they make their books?!  Do they have preschoolers do it?!

Check to see if they're made in China. If so, then yes.

[49410enrique]

Check to see if they're made in China. If so, then yes.

only wiith mine, they're 'made in the USA' lol.  maybe these americans are working in china now ...

in other news, Boosey and Hawkes is quickly gaining in the rankings on my end. mainly do to the fact that where page layout doesn't take care of bad page turns (some publishes i think take this into account, too few really), they add stuff like this in, my Karl Jenkins album has it too but during my several hours this morning of scanning/back up archiving (a dreadful affair i must buy a better scanner this takes way too long...) the Bernstein album Im working with has these 'blank' inserts specifically to address uneccessary page turns. why can't more publishes do this, ESPECIALLY solo plus piano accompanyment/reductions! c'mon people!!

[outin]

I wish there was more consistency in the publications. I would need scores with larger note heads and thicker lines so that I could read more easily. I occasionally find one, but so far the scores from the same publisher have been very different when it comes to print quality and style. Actually I have one book (Schirmer's) where the first half of the pieces is good and then the quality drops and the scores are difficult to read because the black is more grey than black and the printing is vague.
The ABRSM books are usually uniform in quality, but I have difficulty reading them because the lines are thin and the notes are sometimes too widely spaced.
The Henle editions are expensive. So before buying I would need to know how they look like. I guess I should go to a store. I NEVER go to stores anymore, I buy everything (exept food) from the internet!

[davidjosepha]

The Henle editions are expensive. So before buying I would need to know how they look like. I guess I should go to a store. I NEVER go to stores anymore, I buy everything (exept food) from the internet!

Do not buy a Henle unless you are prepared to spend a lot of money, because once you get one, you will buy everything you get from them, if they sell it. Print is pitch black and crisp on slightly off-white paper. Perfect page turns, when possible, excellent spacing, excellent editing...they just make me want to learn music, even if I don't particularly like the music. It's a good thing I've always bought them for Bach, even before I started buying everything from them, because Schirmer messes up Bach so royally, or I probably never would've actually practiced my Bach and grown to like it.

Once you go blue, you never...uh...

[outin]

^ Thanks for the warning! 

[outin]

BTW:
Can someone recommend an online shop to buy the Henle editions in Europe? I would really need better quality scores for Scarlatti sonatas, the ones I have are so hard to read...

[davidjosepha]

If you're curious, they have full copies of some of their repertoire available to view on their website. That'd allow you to view how they lay out the page and all that, although, obviously, not the actual print quality.

Here's one...

https://www.henle.de/pageflip/index.php?id=1015

Also, Henle's books are the only books I've ever been able to keep open first try without holding them open with other heavy books. They bind the book in groups. You know how magazines are bound, with double long papers that are stacked, stapled in the middle, then folded? They have a bunch of those within the book, except instead of magazine paper, it's really nice paper and instead of staples, they use some sort of string. They then group all these mini parts of the book together and bind them together. The result is a book that stays open very well, generally completely flatly open, first try, in my experience. So nice to deal with after ages suffering through Dover editions, especially.

As for European dealers, no idea, sorry.

[49410enrique]

Do not buy a Henle unless you are prepared to spend a lot of money, because once you get one, you will buy everything you get from them, if they sell it. Print is pitch black and crisp on slightly off-white paper. Perfect page turns, when possible, excellent spacing, excellent editing...they just make me want to learn music, even if I don't particularly like the music. It's a good thing I've always bought them for Bach, even before I started buying everything from them, because Schirmer messes up Bach so royally, or I probably never would've actually practiced my Bach and grown to like it.

Once you go blue, you never...uh...

i agree they're among the top notch ones. i would say i like the weiner vienna urtexts (big fan of schott in general they were established in 1770! so they've been doing it for a little while)
i.e if you ever see these on the cheap, buy it. great scores
https://www.wiener-urtext.com/

i like them about as much as well (more in some ways) as the 'blues'. where i think henle might win out is with some of the ultra pricey hard cover/cloth bound-covered books, those are most excellent. i have yet to convince myself i actually need one of those...yet. but those are once a lifetime purchases, care for them and they will outlive you. i'd say they're heirloom scores. but outside of that thre are a few others who are up there. mainly depends on whose works i'm after.

[49410enrique]

BTW:
Can someone recommend an online shop to buy the Henle editions in Europe? I would really need better quality scores for Scarlatti sonatas, the ones I have are so hard to read...

https://www.musicroom.com/search/find.aspx?searchtext=henle+piano

scarlatti
https://www.musicroom.com/search/find.aspx?searchtext=henle+piano+scarlatti

[outin]

https://www.musicroom.com/search/find.aspx?searchtext=henle+piano

scarlatti
https://www.musicroom.com/search/find.aspx?searchtext=henle+piano+scarlatti

Thanks! 

Much cheaper than the ones in my country 

[outin]

https://www.henle.de/pageflip/index.php?id=1015

Looks really good. And I hate it when the books don't stay open...

So I ignored your friendly warning and ordered TWO of the Scarlatti books. You know, I have to pay for postage anyway...

Have to save on something else...no treats for 2 weeks 

[outin]

Love you guys, but you really cost me a lot of money. Introducing new piano music and composers all the time that I just have to buy... And now this 

[davidjosepha]

i have yet to convince myself i actually need one of those...yet. but those are once a lifetime purchases, care for them and they will outlive you. i'd say they're heirloom scores. but outside of that thre are a few others who are up there. mainly depends on whose works i'm after.

Ah, I want one of those so bad, but they really are expensive. Someday, when I'm rich

Love you guys, but you really cost me a lot of money. Introducing new piano music and composers all the time that I just have to buy... And now this 

You think you've got it bad...in the past month, I've spent almost $250 on piano scores, over $100 of it was Henle. There's more I want (my wishlist is valued at around $1000), but I'm going to get through more of what I currently have before I move on to other volumes...or so I try to tell myself

[outin]

You think you've got it bad...in the past month, I've spent almost $250 on piano scores, over $100 of it was Henle. There's more I want (my wishlist is valued at around $1000), but I'm going to get through more of what I currently have before I move on to other volumes...or so I try to tell myself

At least you study music, don't you?

I just "play for fun" (my wrists burning and my fingers bleeding).

I am afraid to count euros, but beginning this summer my stack of music books was about 5 cm high, now it is about 40 cm .

[davidjosepha]

At least you study music, don't you?

I just "play for fun" (my wrists burning and my fingers bleeding).

I am afraid to count euros, but beginning this summer my stack of music books was about 5 cm high, now it is about 40 cm .

Nope. Well, I'll be taking juried classes starting this fall, but I'm not a music major or anything...I'm just in it for the obsessive attention to detail

Oh, and the music, that too.

What all do you own now? As a guy, I'm always interested in turning things into a "whose is bigger" contest, so I'm curious about the size of people's collections and what's in them. I actually keep a bunch of spreadsheets updated with all the music I own and a ton of other things related. Yeh, I'm weird haha.

I'm not familiar with these "cms" you're talking about ( ) but I'd day my music stack is a foot and a half to two feet maybe.

[outin]

Nope. Well, I'll be taking juried classes starting this fall, but I'm not a music major or anything...I'm just in it for the obsessive attention to detail

OK, that's something I can relate to

What all do you own now? As a guy, I'm always interested in turning things into a "whose is bigger" contest, so I'm curious about the size of people's collections and what's in them. I actually keep a bunch of spreadsheets updated with all the music I own and a ton of other things related. Yeh, I'm weird haha.

You want the list? As it happens I have one on my PC because I don't want to accidently buy something I already have...Almost happened once 

I'm not familiar with these "cms" you're talking about ( ) but I'd day my music stack is a foot and a half to two feet maybe.

Let see... If you are a guy and it's 5 cm it's REALLY tiny. If it's 40 cm it's HUGE 

I have no idea why you would stack you music on your feet?

[davidjosepha]

Let see... If you are a guy and it's 5 cm it's REALLY tiny. If it's 40 cm it's HUGE 

Well mine's more like 60cm, so...uh

I have no idea why you would stack you music on your feet?

Easier to carry.


And yes, if you have the list available, I'd like to see it, if you don't mind. And how do you not know what you own? haha

[outin]

Well mine's more like 60cm, so...uh

Excuse me???

And yes, if you have the list available, I'd like to see it, if you don't mind. And how do you not know what you own? haha

I forget things, I'm old 

Most of what I have were bought on the "cheaper the better" principle, but I will have to change that, since some of them are really terrible. In the beginning I just printed from the internet, but I just couldn't handle the hundreds of pages anymore and the papers fall of my music stand all the time...

So here you are:
Bach: Eighteen Little Preludes (ABRSM)
Bach: First Lessons in Bach (Schirmer)
Benda: Twelve Sonatinas (ABRSM)
Burgmuller: Collected studies op 100-105-109 (Schirmer)
Chopin: An Introductory Album (ABRSM)
Clementi: Sonatinas & Sonatas (Schirmer)
Diabelli: Seven Sonatinas, Op.168 (ABRSM)
Dussek: Six Sonatinas (ABRSM)
Faure: Complete Preludes, Impromptus and Valce-Caprices (Dover)
Field: Nocturnes & Other Short Piano Pieces (ABRSM signature series)
Franck: 18 Short Selected Pieces (Peters)
Franck: Fantasie 1 transcribed for piano (Durant)
Franck: Fantasie 2 transcribed for piano (Durant)
Gillock: Lyric Preludes in Romatic Style (Alfred)
Gliere: Eight Easy Pieces (ABRSM)
Griec: Complete Lyric Pieces (Schirmer)
Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist (Schirmer)
Heller: Fifty Selected Studies (Schirmer)
Hook: Twelve Sonatinas (ABRSM)
Hummel: Sixteen Short Pieces (ABRSM)
Kabalevsky: Easy Pieces (Schirmer)
Liadov: Preludes (Kalmus)
Lyadov: Preludes, Trifles and Other Short Pieces (ABRSM)
Mendehlsson: Songs without words (ABRSM signature series)
Moszkowski: Thirteen Romantic Pieces (ABRSM)
Scarlatti: Eleven sonatas (ABRSM)
Schumann: Sixteen Albumleaves (ABRSM)
Schumann: Album for the young (Schirmer)
Scriabin: The Complete Preludes and Etudes for Pianoforte Solo (Dover)
Shostakovich: Easier Works (Schirmer)
Telemann: Fantasias (First Dozen) (ABRSM)
English Keyboard Music, 1663-1702 (ABRSM)
Piano Music for One Hand (Schirmer)
Classics to moderns vol 37 (Hal Leonard)

Plus various method and sight reading books.

[davidjosepha]

Excuse me???

We're talking about music stacks, right?


And thanks for the list, interesting.

[outin]

We're talking about music stacks, right?


And thanks for the list, interesting.

I showed you mine, aren't you supposed to show me your (60 cms)? 

[g_s_223]

The publishers I really like are the ones who will issue piano scores in over-size formats, which some music needs e.g. because of multi-stave complexity. Super-size me? YES PLEASE for scores! Here are my favourite big boys:

• Ravel, Miroirs, Henle
• Smetana, Ma Vlast arr pf 2h., Urbanek
• Messaien, Vingt Regards, Durand (old edition)

Unfortunately, no doubt for reasons of cost, Durand are now issuing the Messaien in a normal size binding, which compresses the musical text in a most unsatisfactory manner.

[davidjosepha]

I showed you mine, aren't you supposed to show me your (60 cms)? 

This thread is getting a little weird haha, but...

Bach:
WTC Book 1 - Henle
Two Part Inventions - Henle
Two and Three Part Inventions - Kalmus
An Introduction to His Keyboard Music - Alfred
18 Short Preludes - Alfred

Beethoven
Complete Piano Sonatas, Volume 1 - Dover
Dances for the Piano - Alfred

Brahms:
Complete Shorter Works for Solo Piano - Dover

Chopin:
Nocturnes - Henle
Études - Henle
An Introduction to His Piano Works - Alfred
Polonaises - Schirmer

Clementi:
Six Sonatinas, Op. 36 - Schirmer

Czerny:
Selected Czerny Studies, Book 1 - Theodore Presser

Debussy:
Complete Preludes - Dover

Grieg:
Piano Sonata in E minor - Peters (I actually bought this at Grieg's house in Norway)
An Introduction to His Piano Works - Alfred
The First Book for Pianists - Alfred

Hamauzu:
Sailing to the World Piano Score - not sure of the publisher, it's a Japanese piano arrangement of a video game soundtrack

Ibert:
Le petit âne blanc - not sure, was my dad's, doesn't seem to be labeled

Joplin:
Collected Piano Works - Rags, Waltzes, Marches - Belwin-Mills

Khachaturian:
Toccata - Schirmer (biggest regret of my life...should've gone with the expensive Sikorski, I think)

Liszt:
Liebesträume, 3 Notturnos - Henle
Harmonies poétiques et religieuses - Henle

Moszkowski:
15 Études de Virtuosité - Schirmer

Mozart:
Sonatas and Fantasies - Theodore Presser
Sonatas and Three Fantasies - Kalmus
Original Compositions for One Piano, Four Hands - Schirmer

Poulenc:
Three Novelettes - Chester

Prokofiev:
Piano Sonatas, Volume 2 - Boosey & Hawkes

Rachmaninoff:
Preludes for Piano - Boosey & Hawkes
Vocalise (Richardson transcription) - Boosey & Hawkes
Vocalise (Schultz transcription) - Alfred

Satie:
Gymnopédies - Henle

Schubert:
Fantasias, Impromptus, and Moments Musicaux - Schirmer

Scriabin:
24 Preludes Op. 11 - Henle
Complete Preludes and Etudes - Dover

Sibelius:
Romance, Op. 24/9 - Alfred

Tchaikovsky:
Album for the Young, Op. 39

Some of the stuff in there is really old (all the Alfred stuff basically), and then the Kalmus stuff and some of the Schirmer is from my dad.

You know how people hate Schirmer? I hate Alfred the way most people hate Schirmer. I have a ton of it from when I was younger, and now I only get it if there's nothing else good available.

[outin]

I see we have the same Scriabin set. I found mine in a book store in Tallinn, cost almost nothing.

Seeing your list made me realize that at least one book was missing from my list. I have one of Finnish piano pieces, some Sibelius, Palmgren and don't remember what else.

[outin]

I received my blue ones today. Sweet

So easy to read, even the "messy sections" make perfect sense and don't cause me the usual headache looking at them...

Just need to keep my hands/eyes off them for a few weeks, I need to complete my other project first...or maybe I just try a little bit this weekend...

The Henle catalogue is a bit limited on Scarlatti, they don't have my favorite pieces. Is there another publisher with this kind of quality?
(EDIT: I'm already going to check out the one above by 49410enrique)

I'm glad I haven't bought much Chopin yet, don't need to buy again

[outin]

The Henle catalogue is a bit limited on Scarlatti, they don't have my favorite pieces. Is there another publisher with this kind of quality?
(EDIT: I'm already going to check out the one above by 49410enrique)

They didn't have any.

Found an Italian publisher Ricordi. They have quite a few. Anyone had these? How's the quality?

[49410enrique]

They didn't have any.

Found an Italian publisher Ricordi. They have quite a few. Anyone had these? How's the quality?

I have vintage ricordi scores, and they've aged very well. i would think so far as quality hasn't gone down (i highly doubt it) they should be a very good buy too. the ones ive seen in the score library at school have also been nice, had a nice 'feel' to them. i don't see any probs, if anything probably preferrable to other editions? maybe similar to how for debussy, ravel, saint saens etc i prefer durand,  henle for the old germans, paderewski for chopin,  weinner vienna for mozart, etc.

i certainly don't think you're taking a risk w them. especially if the price is not unreasonable.

[outin]

Thanks! I could just order one to see...or a few...