mUltimate Chopin

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Uncertain slur continuation

b. 45

composition: Op. 50 No. 3, Mazurka in C♯ minor

Slurs in AI & AF, contextual interpretations

Continuous slur in FE (→EE) & GE; possible interpretation of AF
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According to us, the slurs coinciding with each other is a more likely interpretation of the notation of AI and AF than the continuous slur of the editions, since in b. 45 a new phrase begins.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 45-46

composition: Op. 63 No. 2, Mazurka in F minor

Slur from quaver in b. 45 in FE, contextual interpretation

Slur from f2 in b. 46 in GE & EEW
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In FE, bar 46 is the first in a new line of text, and the phrase mark begins there simultaneously with the continuation of the tie to f2. This suggests that this slur is also a continuation of a slur from the previous bar, but at the end of bar 45 there is only the beginning of the tie. Both in GE and EEW the slur begins from the first quaver in bar 46, but it is possible that Chopin wanted to lead the slur from the moment the note is struck, i.e. from the f2 quaver in bar 45. We consider this interpretation to be text of FE and we accept it in the main text.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in FE , GE revisions , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 47-48

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur over 2nd half of bar in A (literal reading→FE→GE,EE)

Slur to b. 48 in A, contextual interpretation

Slur suggested by the editors
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According to us, the slur of A is doubly inaccurate:

  • in the authentic layout, Chopin was unable to encompass the 1st half of the bar with a slur, hence he used a practically equivalent, simplified notation;
  • The ending of the slur clearly suggests that it should be continued (at the end of the line of the text), yet there is no ending in the next bar, which is a frequent occurrence in Chopinesque manuscripts. The fact that the literal interpretation of this notation adopted in the editions is wrong is proven by the same situation in the R.H. part, in which, however, the unequivocal slur in analogous b. 45-46 allows us to settle the doubt in favour of a slur led to the beginning of b. 48.

In the main text, we suggest a reconstruction of Chopin's alleged intention based on the above conditions.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 47-48

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur in b. 47 in A (literal reading→FE→GE,EE)

Slur to b. 48 in A, contextual interpretation
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In A, the slur in b. 47, at the end of the line, clearly suggests that it should be continued, yet there is no ending thereof in b. 48. The fact that the version of b. 48 is erroneous (incomplete) is confirmed by a comparison with an analogous situation in b. 45-46, in which the slur undoubtedly reaches the 1st crotchet in b. 46. In FE (→GE,EE), it is the version of b. 47 that was considered inaccurate.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 47-48

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

Slur in A

No slur in GE (→FE,EE,FESB)
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In all editions, bar 47 is the final one in the line; moreover, the slur that reaches b. 48 was overlooked in it – it is only the ending of that slur that was printed in b. 48 (in FE this fragment was overlooked too). The diligence with which three different editions – EE, FESB and GE3 – reproduced this clearly erroneous notation is truly puzzling. In our transcriptions, due to a different layout, we treat the versions of all editions as not including a slur.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: Errors in GE , Uncertain slur continuation , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE