PWM National Edition Chopin book won't stay open

[zezhyrule]

I've just received my copy of Chopin Etudes, the polish nation edition edited by Ekier. Really pleased with the actual content of the book; however, the binding is such that even to open it up flat-ish it seems to completely bend the book. Are there any good solutions to this? Why would they make such a crap binding on such an awesome edition? xD

On a random note, another question: Why do the appendixes in urtext editions always seem to be separated from the binding? Is there some reason I'd have to want to carry them around?

[chopinrabbitthing]

I have that book as well! I love it. It took ages for it to actually open out flat without any effort. What I normally do is using another book as a weight to hold down the side that sticks up, and eventually it will open out "normally".

Did you get the Chinese edition? I'm not sure if this is the case with any other language, but the pages of the Etudes I play most are beginning to fall out. Maybe that's why they're about 10 times cheaper than one with no Chinese printed on them.

[chrisbutch]

It's a general problem with modern printing, especially with thicker volumes. At one time everything was bound using traditional bookbinding techniques, with sections individually sewn into what were called 'signatures'. These fell open and stayed open without effort. It's for that reason that desks on grands in particular weren't usually fitted with 'bookholders' (the swivelling metal pegs) to hold scores open - they were unnecessary with proper bindings.
Today, with rare exceptions, scores are bound using the same industrial methods standard for all paperback books. They won't open flat, and sooner or later fall apart. The fix is to use bookholders, which are easily obtainable. If you don't fancy drilling into your beautifully veneered desk, it's very easy, using the most basic carpentry skills, to make a 'false desk' of felt-covered board with a 1" batten for a ledge at the bottom, into which you screw the bookholders. This simply sits on the piano desk.   

[quantum]

I use binder clips when necessary. 

As chopinrabbitthing wrote above, if you weigh down the spot in the book you want opened with other books on a flat surface, the book will eventually break in.  Leave the book like this overnight. 

[j_menz]

I'm inclined to open it back on itself at the required page(s) and bash it on a table.  It is quite effective, but cheaper bindings tend to give up the ghost and necessitate the use of vast amounts of sticky tape.

[zezhyrule]

My poor book. 

I guess I'll just have to break the spine. The most important thing is that I'm able to actually read it I suppose.

[j_menz]

My poor book. 

You could always just photocopy the one(s) your doing and leave the original pristine on the shelf.

[quantum]

You could always just photocopy the one(s) your doing and leave the original pristine on the shelf.

I find this necessary for some works.  Another reason would be to do a bit of cut-and-paste to facilitate page turns.