What does a music editor do?

[austinarg]

With this I mean the people who appear as "editors" on every sheet music. Do they transcribe the notes from the original manuscript or they do more than that?

[mjames]

Fingerings, dynamics, tempi, "corrections", ossias, pedal markings, explanations of ornaments (only the generous ones do that) etc stuff like that.

[j_menz]

The best of them correct composers scores in light of scholarly research. Some provide considered advice as to tempo, dynamics fingering etc - all carefully distinguished from the indications original to the composer on such matters.

The worst of them rewrite the score and write in an interpretation in their own image. These ones should be taken out and quietly shot!