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Which edition of the Well-Tempered Clavier do you recommend?

I have the Henle Urtext edition for Book 1. It's very readable, it lays flat, and an Urtext edition always seems like a good choice.

Now I want to get Book 2. Should I get the Henle edition?

Am I correct in assuming the Henle Book 1 you already have has little or no fingering? If so, I think you should consider a fingered edition for Book 2. Ones that have the ornaments written out are also helpful.

I very highly recommend the Anthony Newman Great Performer's Edition. Schirmer

The fingering on numerous passages were not what i would do if left to my own devices. But after a little practice made the pieces easier to perform.

-chris

Henle book I and II have fingerings by Andras Schiff, they are quite helpful imo.

Good and if you need additional suggestions there ar many editions on IMSLP that have fingering suggestions.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.

I checked my copy of Henle Book 1, and it does have fingerings (as KlinkKlonk said). So I think I'll get Henle for Book 2.

I have several versions, the Barenreiter, Henle and Abrsm. Volume 2 of Henle is edited by Yo Tomito, Barenreiter by Alfred Durr and Abrsm by Richard Jones. All 3 are excellent editions. The more complete in my view is Barenreiter but it has no fingering. Abrsm gives fingering and some suggestions for the ornaments, though there are not too many and they are mostly rather simple ones. Henle has only fingering.

After that it is more a question of format and presentation. The print quality and binding is, as usual, better with Henle and Barenreiter.

I just checked Amazon. Oddly, it looks like there are two Henle editions of Book 2. One has fingerings and the other not. I wonder why.

https://smile.amazon.com/Well-tempered-Clavier-870-893-Henle-Folios/dp/B002KJFIWY/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3KNVN3NLTQPZ&dchild=1&keywords=bach+well+tempered+clavier+book+2&qid=1592254468&s=books&sprefix=bach+well+tempered+clavier+book+2%2Cstripbooks%2C157&sr=1-5

https://smile.amazon.com/Bach-Well-Tempered-Clavier-870-893-Fingering/dp/B00BMM7EJ0/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3KNVN3NLTQPZ&dchild=1&keywords=bach+well+tempered+clavier+book+2&qid=1592254468&s=books&sprefix=bach+well+tempered+clavier+book+2%2Cstripbooks%2C157&sr=1-2

Henle's answer to your question:

The world-famous pianist András Schiff, a most familiar name to Bach fans on account of his complete recordings of Bach’s piano works, has provided fingerings for both parts of the Well-Tempered Clavier. He discusses aspects of performance practice in a detailed preface. The basis for the musical text was Henle’s revised edition of Part I published in 1997 and Yo Tomita’s revision of Part II (spring 2007). The eminent Bach scholar Tomita discusses the complicated source situation of Part II in an extensive preface. A detailed commentary rounds off the edition. Both parts of the Well-Tempered Clavier are also available as Henle Urtext editions without fingerings and as study editions.


... but they don't really say "why," do they?

Regards,

If you read their approach to editing, it is essentially related to the fact that they want to be urtext, so fingering is something added. But for practical reasons and I can only assume because there is a demand they include the fingering. They used to have more versions without fingering but i guess it is too expensive to keep both versions, as most people would buy the fingered one. So now the unfingered versions are limited to some major work of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven and a few others. That said as many people are going digital, they have an app where you can remove the fingering. BTW That also apply to pieces with violin where one can give indicative bowing.

How do people go digital? I know how to download PDFs from IMSLP to my iPad. But I have the 10.5" iPad, but I don't yet have the 12.9" iPad. Is that what you mean by going digital?

For pieces that are not available on IMSLP, how can I get a digital copy of a piece of music? Are standard editions available in PDF form?

Personally, I like the Henle Urtext (with Schiff's fingering), and also Busoni's edition with its Romantic interpretation. Those two editions do it all for me.

Henle is offering a digital version of their scores. For that you have to download their proprietary app for iPad or Android. Then you can buy the digital version. I think the price is about half or so the price of the printed version. With the app, there are a number of features, of which the ability to remove the fingering or change it. I believe there is no standard format so each editor will offer a specific solution, if any.

Thanks, Sidokar.