Music philology is in many ways an elusive field of research: it escapes the musician, who is used to considering music as mere practice, but also the literary philologist, who is little inclined to consider music, the ephemeral art par excellence, as an object of philological investigation. This book addresses complex theoretical questions in a direct yet rigorous manner: what is meant by “musical text”? What does the music philologist deal with? How does one approach the task of preparing a musical edition? What are the different types of editions? And how does one choose from among them taking into account one’s specific needs? The clear structure, the anthology of essays and the glossary make this book an indispensable tool for the formation of musicologists and musicians, and a sure guide for anyone wishing to approach the realm of musical editions. Indeed, what would be the point of good editions if nobody used them?