ショパン・ナショナル・エディション（英語の説明）
Fascinated with Chopin's music, Count Astolph de Custine wrote to the composer, "You are not playing on the piano, but on the soul�.
50 years have passed
since these words were written and Chopin's music still
charms, with its wealth and depth of emotion, new generations
of pianists and listeners, so that today millions of
people all over the world find, as if bewitched by it, the
most tender and sublime emotions, of which a human
being is capable.
However, before we give in to the charm of a Nocturne
or a Ballade, the performer must become familiar
with the musical text.
In notating his works Chopin was
able to include many interpretational suggestions and he
did this in a sophisticated, often unconventional way �
notation of his music is not only an instruction but
also an inspiration for the performer.
That is why it is extremely important for the printed text to reconstruct
as faithfully as possible both the letter and the spirit of
the Chopin's manuscript. This task can only be fully realised
by a critical edition of the original text, called
THE URTEXT EDITION
The basis for each urtext edition is taken from the
original sources, i.e. autographs, copies and prints corrected
by the composer or, if possible, other reliable
sources. All the changes and supplementations - if they
are necessary - must be graphically distinguished from
the text. The characterisation of the sources, the description
of divergences between them, the justification of editorial
decisions should be documented in a source commentary.
A good urtext edition should also contain a
performance commentary and some information about
the circumstances of the production of the published
works.
THE NATIONAL EDITION
is just the urtext edition of all Chopin's works, prepared
by means of the most modern scientific methods
on the basis of all the available sources. The National
Edition, begun by PWM Edition, is realised by a foundation
specially created for this purpose. The editorial work
demands complete devotion to Chopin from the authors
of the Edition, because the wealth of his invention
when combined with his nature, sometimes capricious
(he called himself The most undecided person in the
world�), produces extraordinarily varied and complicated
problems when trying to grasp the full, unadulterated intention
of the composer.
The variants, or the authentic variations of the text,
given in the National Edition, are an evident manifestation
of that wealth of invention. This varying quality constitutes
one of the fundamental characteristics of Chopin's
creative thinking; therefore, an edition without variants
would give an abridged and impoverished image of his
work.
In Chopin's notation even those elements, which have
no direct influence on the tone, such as, for instance, certain
graphic features or chromatic orthography, may be of
basic importance for the deciphering of various tonal
subtleties and the shades of meaning of the music.
The autographs (and sometimes even the proofs of the prints)
bear traces of elaboration of astoundingly tiny details of
notation. The manuscripts forming the result of these endeavours
were described by Chopin with jocular tenderness
as "manuscript flies" he also wrote about them: "I
shouldn like to give this spider's web to any fat copyist"�
or "I do love my b o r i n g written music"
We, too, simply love Chopin's written music and that
is why we wish for the National Edition to form a specific
ideal fair copy of his works, just as suggestive as an
autograph and, at the same time, devoid of mistakes and
inadequacies. Apart from the essential precision we place
especial emphasis on the graphic aspect of the publication.
Our computer typesetting of the music is a real
handicraft, combined with a watchmaker's precision.
The National Edition forms a reliable and comfortable
basis for scientific research. In the Source Commentaries
musicologists will find fundamental information
about the sources together with an evaluation of the degree
of their authenticity, a description of mutual connections
(called 吐iliation�) and a discussion of the more important
divergences as well as the principles of editing the music
text of particular works. Also, information has been given
about the more serious deviations from the authentic text
found in the most popular collected editions of Chopin's
works.
Principally, however, the National Edition is addressed
to the performer. In the music text, beside Chopin's fingering,
we give, in different type, the fingering used in
contemporary concert practice and the Performance
Commentaries explain all these elements of music notation
which may raise doubts today. They include:
●writing out the ornaments in full,
●pedalling indications,
●suggestions as to the realisation of "harmonic legato"
a performing device which Chopin liked to use
and which is forgotten now,
●alternate fingering.
That is why it is easy to play from the National Edition.
The National Edition gains favourable opinions from
the most distinguished specialists ー pianists, musicologists,
conductors:
●Professor Paul Badura-Skoda has said that "the
National Edition is so far the best available Chopin edition
made with extreme care and precision"
●Professor Jim Samson has written that "by far
the best of the modern editions is Jan Ekier's Polish National.
Ekier does work with well thought-through editorial
principles and his text comes closer than any other to
a faithful reproduction of a single ("best")source".
●Professor Frans Brugen, who performed Chopin's
Concertos with the Orchestra of the 18th Century
from the scores of the National Edition, has remarked
that "new urtext of Chopin's Works prepared by professor
Jan Ekier seems to be very trustworthy. Having compared
all the different sources available, Professor Ekier
was able to make good editorial decisions".
Encouraged by the favourable evaluations we are confident
enough to address the following appeal to all
those, who can play the piano, both amateurs and students
as well as veterans of the concert hall.
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