Which edition of Chopin Etudes has the correct fingerings for Op. 10 2?

[zjazzchopin]

By "correct fingerings" I mean the ones Chopin specifically wrote in himself. I want to learn this slowly (not interested in performing, I just want to improve my technique) and want to make sure I'm following the correct fingerings that Chopin intended. The fingerings however seem to vary more than slightly between editions. For example, just in the first measure, the Cortot edition has 5345 4534 5453 4345, the Mikilu edition has 4345 3434 5343 4345, whereas the Friedheim edition has 4345 4534 5453 4345.

I understand that changing the fingerings is often done for different reasons, and there's no 100% correct way for fingering, especially when performing, but I'm interesting in the fingerings that Chopin himself wrote in.

[hmpiano]

Go to https://chopin.lib.uchicago.edu/  here's page 1:

https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/chopin/images/046/chopin046-011q.jpg

[nyiregyhazi]

By "correct fingerings" I mean the ones Chopin specifically wrote in himself. I want to learn this slowly (not interested in performing, I just want to improve my technique) and want to make sure I'm following the correct fingerings that Chopin intended. The fingerings however seem to vary more than slightly between editions. For example, just in the first measure, the Cortot edition has 5345 4534 5453 4345, the Mikilu edition has 4345 3434 5343 4345, whereas the Friedheim edition has 4345 4534 5453 4345.

I understand that changing the fingerings is often done for different reasons, and there's no 100% correct way for fingering, especially when performing, but I'm interesting in the fingerings that Chopin himself wrote in.

I wouldn't worry too much about what he wrote- except for academic reasons. The simplest way to play the Etude is to use the principle that 4 plays black keys and 5 plays white keys. Before the two white keys together (B-C or E-F) you need a third finger on the adjacent black key, so as to fill in the gap. Personally, I'm bemused by most of the minor departures from this fingering concept, that you often see. I really don't get why anyone would want to cover regular white keys to black keys between 4 and 3, rather than 5 and 4/3 (especially on the first A to A sharp- where's it's staggeringly awkward). Understanding the basic concept for the simplest fingering saves loads of time compared to simply following reams of finger numbers.

Obviously it's worth considering the composer's own departures from the principle- but personally I'd sooner keep to the above approach unless there's a very good contextual reason to depart. I find it vastly easier to cover all chromatic motion with that concept (both mentally and physically). Merely by remembering that 3 falls on A sharps and D sharps, I've already got my fingering for 90% of the piece. Chopin's is a lot more erratic and difficult to remember.

[nearenough]

I have a paper back book, "Chopin pianist and teacher as seen by his pupils" by Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger, Cambridge 1986, which on page 199contains a photocopy of the first page proof for the original French edition of Op. 10 #2 "containing inked corrections, all by Chopin." The numbers are boldly inscribed, but only the first page is shown. I hope this may help in part.

[hmpiano]

Do follow Chopin's fingering.  The 3,4,5 'principle' is what it's about.  Let go of the bottom two notes of the chord and relax your hand after each as quickly as you can - that's another 'principle' here.

[werq34ac]

Can't go wrong with Henle on this one. Henle gives the original Chopin fingerings and then editor fingerings that they feel are more comfortable.

[nyiregyhazi]

Do follow Chopin's fingering.  The 3,4,5 'principle' is what it's about.  Let go of the bottom two notes of the chord and relax your hand after each as quickly as you can - that's another 'principle' here.

Relax your hand from what? Anything that is perceived as needing to be released (beyond the obvious release that allows the keys to go back up) is ruinous in this etude. After letting the keys bounce up, it really pays to keep the space between the thumb and second finger opened. Intending to relax from something tends to leave the thumb flying upwards instead of pointing down- which is absolutely ruinous to the sense of balance in this etude. If anything, I'd say the key is to learn how to maintain a very slight activity that points the thumb down at all the times. The activity is very small and is not perceived as a "tension", but generic intent at relaxation very easily spoils this. As soon as you start relaxing from it, the the knuckles tend to droop- making it an enormous effort to play the following keys. The thumb should not release enough to be bounced away from the key- but merely enough to let it return to its initial position, with the thumb pointing down against the surfaces.

The easiest way to play this Etude is to keep high knuckles like Rubinstein. The secret to that lies in not over-relaxing the thumb.

[chadbrochill17]

I have Paderewski edition and I think it's correct. His etudes are generally what Chopin originally had.