mUltimate Chopin

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Terzverschreibung error

b. 5

composition: Op. 26 No 1, Polonaise in C♯ minor

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A (→FE→GE1,EE) includes an erroneous A2-C tenth. It is a patent error of Chopin in the number of the ledger lines. The pitch of the note was corrected in GE2 (→GE3→GE4→GE5).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Terzverschreibung error , Errors in the number of ledger lines , Errors of A

b. 5

composition: Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt III

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In FE the bottom note of the 1st crotchet is an erroneous f1 instead of a1 – cf. analogous bar 329 as well as similar situations in bars 11, 13, 27, 29 and analog., which always include a1. The visible traces of corrections prove that the mistake initially got to EE, in which it was, however, corrected in print.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Terzverschreibung error

b. 5

composition: Op. 28 No. 19, Prelude in E♭ major

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The 3rd quaver in GE1 is a c2 (with a ). At this pitch, a natural does not cancel anything; in turn, it deprives the 6th and 9th semiquavers of necessary alterations, which points to a Terzverschreibung mistake, irrespective of the compliant version of the remaining sources. The error was corrected in GE2 (→GE3).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE , Terzverschreibung error , GE revisions

b. 6

composition: Op. 2, Variation IV, primitive version

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When writing the melody semiquavers without an octave sign, Chopin committed 14 mistakes in the entire variation, including 6 Terzverschreibung mistakes, which in this context consist in writing one ledger line too many. The list below shows the mistakes:

  • bar 6 – d4 instead of b3, d4 instead of c4, d4 instead of b3 (the first mistake was perhaps corrected by combining two ledger lines into one);
  • bar 7 – all 4 notes, c4 instead of a3, d4 instead of b3, f4 instead of c4, f4 instead of d4;
  • bar 9 – e4 instead of c4, e4 instead of f4;
  • bar 10 – d4 instead of c4;
  • bar 19 – b3 instead of c4;
  • bar 22 – b3 instead of c4;
  • bar 23 – b3 instead of a3, b3 instead of c4.

The letter names of notes written over the notes allow us to easily detect these mistakes.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: Terzverschreibung error , Errors in the number of ledger lines

b. 8

composition: Op. 10 No 9, Etude in F minor

a in AI, GE & EE

f in A (→FE)
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The version of A (→FE) is almost certainly erroneous. It is revealed by the notation of AI in this bar and a compatible version of all sources in analogous bar 44. The correct text of GE and EE is most probably a result of revisers' actions, probably on the basis of comparison with bar 44.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Terzverschreibung error , GE revisions , Errors of A