Chopin Piano Works Complete 2: Etudes (Polish National Edition)

Author: (Polish) Jan Ekier (Ekier, J.)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Professor Ekier visited China in 1983 and gave special lectures on Chopin at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The Polish National Edition of the "Complete Works for Piano by Chopin," edited by him, is now published in China, allowing his research findings on Chopin to be disseminated more widely and comprehensively. It is believed to once again attract attention from the music world. Chopin's works are the most frequently performed in all piano literature but are also the most severely altered. Sixty years ago, we didn’t understand what an "Urtext" was, nor did we have one. We thought that as long as it was Chopin, any version was the same. Later, we realized it wasn’t that simple—the differences between various editions were significant. Some were intentionally edited by compilers who believed they could "improve" Chopin’s original works (e.g., the Karl Klindworth edition [1830-1916]), while most were based on misinformation, assuming that the versions were supposed to be that way. In the mid-20th century, Poland published the Paderewski (Ignacy Jan Paderewski 1860-1941) edition, which largely clarified previous errors and pioneered a new style of Chopin performance. This edition became popular internationally for over half a century, but it was not a strict "Urtext." It used a so-called "standardization" method to "standardize" (simplify) many subtle variations in Chopin’s manuscripts. Professor Ekier is today’s most authoritative expert on Chopin. He is a pianist, professor, and has decades of experience in performance and teaching. Additionally, he is a highly knowledgeable and rigorous scholar. It is most appropriate for him to lead the editing of a new "Urtext" edition of Chopin. This new "Urtext" edition has been designated as the "National Edition" by the Polish government to signify its importance and authority. Professor Ekier not only based his edition on Chopin’s manuscripts and various first editions but also mastered many corrections and revisions made by Chopin during his teaching on student scores. As a result, his edition contains many new discoveries that differ significantly from what we are accustomed to hearing. It is believed to be yet another milestone.