Most of the Chopin editions published in Italy[1] and Switzerland during the composer’s lifetime recycled the music text of editions from other countries, almost certainly without the original publisher’s consent.[2] Because they therefore do not constitute primary material, these sources have not been catalogued apart from two editions published before 1849 and two posthumous ones, which have been included for reasons explained below. Tarantella Op. 43 and Hexameron have direct links to Italian music,[3] which partly explains the high level of interest in these works within Italy itself.

By all appearances, Ricordi’s edition of Hexameron and the reprint thereof by Pozzi were the first of the original publications of this work, thus warranting its presence in this catalogue. Both preceded the edition of Haslinger by four weeks and that of Troupenas by more than two years. They similarly anticipated the English edition, which dates from the first six months of 1840.

The edition of the Tarantella Op. 43 appears to have resulted from an arrangement between Ricordi and Troupenas of which no details are known. What is clear is that the former prepared his edition on the basis of the French print, while for his part Troupenas added the name of the Milanese firm to the TP of Op. 43’s second impression (see 43–1a-TR).[4] Chopin would have been informed about the publication of this fourth ‘first edition’ of the work. Ricordi’s editions of the Sonata Op. 4 and Variations on a German National Air (both of which appeared in 1851) reflect a truly international effort. The fact that the title pages of the French and Austrian first editions refer to him as an associate editor (see 4–1-R, 4–1-HAc, VGNA–1-R, VGNA–1-HAc)[5] shows that Ricordi was a partner from the start and that his publications are ‘official’ Chopin first editions along with the others.

[1] Like Poland, Italy did not exist as an independent nation during much of the nineteenth century. Between 1815 and 1859, Milan – where all of the Italian editions of Chopin were published – belonged to the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia which itself was under Austrian domination.

[2] These include the following:

                                                                                                     Italy

• Artaria & Fils: Op. 12 (10/1836); Op. 15 (2/1837); Op. 18 (6/1836)
• Canti: Kujawiak from Op. 13 (2/1837); Op. 27 (2–3/1837)
• Clausetti & Co.: Op. 35/3&4 (c. 1855)
• Epimaco & Artaria: Op. 9 (12/1835)
• Lucca: Op. 9 (3/1838); Op. 10 (9/1836); Opp. 12, 14, 16 (3/1837); Op. 18 (1836); Op. 19 (9/1836); Op. 20 (8/1836); Opp. 22, 23   (10/1837); Op. 25 (5/1838); Op. 27 (1/1838); Op. 28 (1/1840); Op. 30 (3/1843);  Méthode des Méthodes (3/1841); Op. 32 no. 2   (c. 1856); Opp. 6, 7, 15, 17, 24, 26, 29, 32, 34, Op. 35/3&4, Opp. 53, 55–57, 59–64, 66–73, Mazurka dedicated to Emile Gaillard   (c. 10–12/1862); Opp. 1, 5, 8, 11, 13, 21, 31, 33, Op. 35/1&2, Opp. 36–43, 46–49, 51, 52, 54, 58 (c/ 10–12/1863)
  
• Ricordi: Opp. 9, 18 (1840; Op. 18 printed from Artaria's plates); Méthode des Méthodes (3–4/1841); Op. 50 (6/1862); Opp. 57,   64, Deux Valses mélancoliques [Op. 70 no. 2 & Op. 69 no. 2] (9–10/1862). 
  

                                                                                                     Switzerland

• Bustelli-Rossi: Op. 35/3 (1858)
• Larpin: Op. 18 (1837–38)
• Pozzi: Op. 10 (1837–38); Opp. 15, 28, 30, 33 (c. 1839–41); Op. 25 (3/1839); Op. 28 (4/1840); Op. 31 (12/1839); Op. 34   (11/1839); Op. 35 (2/1841); Opp. 36, 37 (early 1841); Op. 38 (5/1841); Op. 39 (1841), Op. 42 (2/1841); Op. 51 (4/1844). Note   that all of the works published by Pozzi were also marketed by Ricordi.

This information is taken from Jaeger 2020: 745–827.

[3] Hexameron was based on a theme by Bellini and was first performed at a concert organised by Princess Belgiojoso for the benefit of Italian refugees. (See France, note 2.) The Tarantella Op. 43 was inspired by a dance of the same name originating in southern Italy.

[4] This mention of the Italian firm on the TP of Op. 43 is the only such reference in all of the ‘official’ Chopin editions published before 1850. It should be recalled that Chopin generally assigned rights to his German publishers in all countries save France and England. His contracts with Troupenas and Schuberth do not survive, but given that Chopin demanded 500 francs from the latter (see his letter to Fontana of 20 June 1841, in Chopin 1962: 196), it is likely that the conditions under which he sold the rights of other works were broadly similar if not identical. Ricordi would thus have had to negotiate with Schuberth rather than Troupenas.

[5] The TPs of the Austrian editions also give the name of a Leipzig concessionaire. Oddly, the English edition indicates neither continental publisher (see 4–1-COC, VGNA–1-COC).