G. Henle Verlag

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPINPiano Concerto no. 2 f minor op. 21
Chopin composed his piano concertos around 1829/30, which means that to a certain extent they are the climax and conclusion of his student years in Warsaw. Both works are early masterpieces with which Chopin celebrated great triumphs on his first concert tours abroad, and to this day the popularity of these piano concertos has remained unbroken. The Concerto in f minor – the first to be written – was not published until 1836, when Chopin was already firmly established in Paris. Compared with the e-minor concerto the source material is profuse: along with first editions and student copies, the edition has also made use of what might be called a “half autograph”, in which the orchestral parts stem from an unknown scribal hand, while the piano solo part is written by the composer himself. The piano reduction also makes use of contemporary sources: this is an edition that offers Urtext quality at the highest level.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZARTPiano Concerto G major K. 453
This piano concerto by Mozart presented here inaugurate an ambitious project at Henle Publishers: in the coming years many of the Salzburg master’s 23 piano concertos will be published in completely new Urtext editions. And none other than András Schiff is collaborating with us. His piano reductions are aimed at amateurs rather than professionals; his fingerings for Mozart’s solo part have been exquisitely fine-tuned and are inspiring; and where Mozart’s original cadenzas are missing, Schiff’s stylistically perfected ones have been included. In so doing we aspire to set a new precedent. The quality is not only guaranteed by András Schiff, but also by the Mozart scholars to whom Henle Publishers have entrusted their Urtext editions. Each work is edited by a specialist, according to predetermined editorial guidelines. First and foremost Mozart’s handwritten scores have been consulted, being the most important sources. In some cases these had not yet been available when preparing previous editions. Moreover, we know today that in addition to Mozart’s own manuscripts, early copies in parts and prints also contain important information regarding the musical text. A co-production with Breitkopf & Härtel, Mozart’s piano concertos are not only available as attractive and affordable piano reductions, there are also an accompanying Urtext conductor’s score, orchestral parts and a study score. This will ensure that this lavish new edition can be used in many different contexts: whether studying the solo part in a definitive Urtext edition, which reflects the latest research findings; or playing together with a second pianist, providing a piano reduction which not only sounds superb but is also easy to play; or studying and reading the pocket score and finally performing with an orchestra, using newly-prepared material.