Nocturnes

Piano Solo

By Frederic Chopin

The Henle editions are always stellar. They are clear with fingerlings included.

Until the new Peters is issued, with its greater attention the complex source situation in Chopin (several first editions, multiple versions, multiple early prints), this Henle will be the standard bearer for excellence. My only reservation is that Henle fingerings for Chopin are not consistent with Chopin's own fingering...

principles. In Op. 62/2, for example, the B on the downbeat of bar 2 is fingered "1 changing to 5," so that the note is struck with the thumb, the least "singing" of the digits. In general I think Henle's fingerings ask you to over-pedal as well.

According to Maurice Hinson: "No "ultimate" edition of Chopin's works has yet appeared. This Henle Verlag edition though upholds some of the highest standards in what has been issued. I started playing piano when I was 5. I'm now 57. Almost exclusively, into my twenties, I bought Schirmer...

editions. Later in life, the "Urtext" became more popular. I'm gradually replacing my music library with Henle editions - Hardcover in most cases. They're expensive but are a treat to own. I bought this paperback edition of the Nocturnes though. I recommend taking it to a place, such as a FedEx store so the cover can be laminated, this will extend the life of the book substantially.

It is a bigger size book. I ordered the same book with student edition. That book was too small and difficult to put on the piano. This one is perfect for performance.

Got this for my daughter, who's a piano student at Laguardia, a music high school here in NYC. I knew I was spending 3X more for this than the Schirmer but had heard from those whose opinion I respect that the Henle is worth every nickel of the higher...

price. They were of course right: the quality of this edition reveals itself to the most casual perusal: paper, printing, layout, notation. Everything about this urtext exudes quality. And let's face it: these 20 little pieces are some of the most profound and sublime works for the instrument ever written, some of them crossing over into a sacred space of depth, feeling, and technical achievement. The text should reflect and honor that, and this one does.