Hi everyone !

I intend to work on the Goldberg Variations in the not so distant future. I have not bought the book yet and I was wondering which edition is the most accurate.

Generally, I like the ABRSM editions : they are authoritative, made by scholars, very informative, with good fingering. I have these for the WTC, Beethoven sonatas, Schumann and others and I'm very happy with them.

(I use Wiener Urtext for Chopin however.)

But there no ABRSM edition for the Goldbergs. I'm still waiting for this.

So, what do you suggest ? What do you use ?

Henle ? Barenreiter ? Breitkopf ? Wiener Urtext ? Peters ? Kalmus ?

I know that the Barenreiter is the authoritative edition, but they don't have fingering. Suggestions about fingering is always good in Bach's works.

Thank you

But fingerings are so personal. I wish they weren't included so often (except in beginner books).

Hi, Alicia !

Thank you for answer.

Indeed, fingerings are personal. But they are only suggestions. You're not supposed to think they are Gods' word. You can have your own fingering if the editor's fingering doesn't fit your hands. But I think suggestions are always interesting.

Do you play the Goldbergs ? If yes, which edition do you use ?

Thank you for your time.

'Suggestions about fingering is always good in Bach's works' !!!

Did you forget to add: 'In my opinion'?! If your playing is at a level to tackle the Goldberg, then you are probably of a level to work out your own fingerings, I would imagine.

I use the Barenreiter edition( blue cover). I like the clean uncluttered look on the page, and would not have considered an edition with fingering. It can often look rather messy to have helpful 'suggestions' crossed out and the alternative squashed in somewhere ( in my opinion )

Hi, HelenVJ !



Well, yes indeed, it is what I think and some others might think differently. Should I have written "in my opinion" ? Maybe, I should have. Sorry for that, but I thought it was obvious, since I was the one writing.

I agree with you that an advanced pianist should be able to find his own fingering. But I'm not really advanced, I'm more of a late intermediate student. I have mastered several Grade 7 and Grade 8 pieces. Several preludes and fugues from the WTC, some Beethoven sonatas movements, Mendelssohn's songs without words, Chopin's preludes.


(But you make me curious. Sorry if I'm being too inquisitive, but do you always use non-fingered editions ? Or is this only for Bach ?

Sorry for being off topic)


As for the Goldbergs Variations, I do not intend to play the whole piece right now, but would like to try some of them. I know that some parts are easier than others. I already played some bits of the piece. I have borrowed the Czerny edition in a library. This one has fingering, but it's heavily edited. And you don't know what is Bach's and what is Czerny's.




Well, to each his own. You have my admiration if you're able to practice the piece without any guidance. You must be way more advanced than I am. Do you have a teacher ? Maybe you're a teacher ?


Thank you for your answer.

It's mine. All mine.

I've got the JS Bach 'Keyboard Music' -the Bach-Gesellschaft Edition published by Dover which includes the Goldberg Variations.

I've not given any serious attention to this work yet but were I to do so, I'd maybe buy a copy with just the Goldberg V's because Dover books of this thickness never seem to stay open on the music stand very well, and I find that much more annoying than page layout or inclusion of fingering suggestions (which I quite like and find easy to ignore if not helpful).

This is more of a study copy than a music copy and it doesn't include fingering.

Serious study of this work would require a copy of JSB's ornaments by your side (which I'm sure you have filed away somewhere).

I know this edition, because it's available in PDF format on a website, a digital library.

The Bach Gesellschaft was certainly revolutionnary in its day, but musicology has made a lot of research since. Some new copies of the work has been dicovered.




You mean this ?

That's the one - unless there is a more comprehensive one in book form.

If the Bach Gesellschaft Edition is too old-hat for you then pick the prettiest cover out of the Urtext ones and transfer just the essential fingering from an AB edition. A pleasant enough task for a wet afternoon and you shouldn't need to do too much of it - might even help you to learn the music.

I think I have found the edition I am looking for : the Wiener Urtext. It reprints the Barenreiter and adds fingerings. And it's not too expensive. Looks like a good deal.

http://www.schott-music.com/shop/Sheet_Mus...ow,92837,b.html

Thank you to everyone.

How to play Bach's Goldberg Variations BWV 988 analysis and tips by Danielle Osman on the Piano Sage blog gives a good introduction and overview.
http://pianosage.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-...variations.html