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The National Edition is a unique editorial undertaking. Its goal is the publication of Fryderyk Chopin’s oeuvre in its authentic form and, wherever existing sources make it impossible, in a shape that is as close to authenticity as possible. In view of the current trend to perform music as it was intended by the composer, such a goal is both necessary and feasible. This need is dictated by the abundance of existing Chopin sources, both in their original form and in photocopies. Researchers have developed methods of defining their authenticity.

Chopin belongs not only to the most often performed composers but also to those whose works have had the greatest number of publications. About 100 complete editions of his works have been published during the past 150 years. They differ considerably. Chopin entrusted the publication of his compositions to many publishers, in France, Germany and England. The thing is that the manuscripts that he offered to them (autographs and copies) were not always the same, while not all the copies and first editions were proof-read by him. Moreover, the publishers made their editing, the printers made errors and deletions, whereas the editors standardized the text to their own liking. All this resulted in numerous inaccuracies which made it difficult to distinguish the composer’s genius from an editor’s interference…