Frédéric Chopin did not attempt to preserve definitive versions of his compositions because he disliked the labor of writing down notes. Improvising his performances at will, he never played a piece the same way twice. As a result, there are numerous texts of any single Chopin work and the editions of these texts have more editorial "improvisation" than do the texts of most composers. One of the most respected editions was prepared by Carl Mikuli, Chopin's student and, later, his teaching assistant, who was in a particularly privileged and advantageous position to take into account all that the master brought to his playing and teaching. His editorial contributions to this volume reflect his understanding of the principles that underly this body of work, imparted to him in word and deed by the composer.
The 20 nocturnes reproduced here include Opp. 9, 15, 27, 32, 37, 48, 55, 62, 72, and the posthumous Nocturne in C-sharp Minor. The 11 polonaises include Opp. 26, 40, 44, 53, 61,71, and the posthumous Polonaise in G-sharp Minor.
Serious pianists will want to have these authoritative texts of 31 of Chopin's most popular and enduring works.