Every edition is different. The work itself often captivates. Sometimes, a particular source situation makes editing methodologically interesting. What really grabbed me as the editor of the Urtext edition discussed in this blog post is not just the outcome, but also the incredibly varied path leading there.
Friedrich Burgmüller, Lithography, ca. 1840
When I was assigned to edit the 25 Etudes, op. 100, by Friedrich Burgmüller (1806–1874), my first thought was: “Burg who?” Looking back, though it’s hard to believe, those standard piano pedagogy works called “Etudes”, “Instructor” (“Lehrmeister”), or “Melodious Exercises” hardly arose in my own piano lessons, and, in fact, I remained largely untouched by the Burgmüllers, Hanons, Diabellis, and Czernys. So, I approached the Burgmüller edition without any personal childhood memories, idealisation, or any bad experiences. And in the following months, I had many of those smaller and larger episodes that make the profession of editor so varied and rewarding. Continue reading
