Roy Howat presents the New Peters Urtext Edition of the Chopin Etudes (3 Books)

In this edition of the Chopin Etudes in three books, pianist and musicologist Roy Howat presents a new edition which addresses many of the misunderstandings created by a very poorly engraved first French edition (containing errors which were then carried over to the German and English editions) – an edition which nevertheless included many important revisions made at proof stage. Using this first French edition as a primary source, Howat produces an Urtext edition which, while recording noteworthy variants from a variety of sources, is not a ‘conflated’ version, but a coherent performing edition in its own right, ideal for all who aspire to play these cornerstones of piano repertoire in an informed way.

Chopin’s Études occupy a central place in the piano repertoire, revered by generations of pianists not only for their technical demands but also for their exceptional musicality, which transcends the concept of mere ‘studies.’

The Complete Chopin — A New Critical Edition series is recognised as the definitive scholarly edition of Chopin’s music. Under the direction of editor-in-chief John Rink, a team of some of the world’s most respected Chopin specialists contribute their unrivalled collective knowledge to imbue the project with unique authority, drawing upon the latest international scholarship. The Complete Chopin prioritises the needs of the practical pianist and provides a text of each work based on a single principal source together with important variants from other authoritative sources, along with thorough critical commentaries and prefatory essays in English, French and German.