An Urtext edition of Beethoven's 5 Studies and 51 Exercises for piano. This edition is based on autographs and/or copies of early editions revised by the composer, with editorial additions kept to a minimum. The studies are free paraphrases done in the service of Brahms' characteristic virtuosity, and use the music of other composers as a starting point and as inspiration. The writing of the technical exercises is connected with the composer's intensive instrumental studies, and later in his work as a piano teacher, though he revised the series for the first edition, and probably expanded it also. Details on the sources are included in the notes.