mUltimate Chopin

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in A

b. 4

composition: Op. 11, Concerto in E minor, Mvt I

..

In Atut, there is no  raising the bottom note of the L.H. on the 3rd beat of the bar. This patent inaccuracy was corrected in FE (→GE,EE). There is a similar situation in bar 12.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Accidentals in different octaves , Authentic corrections of FE , Inaccuracies in A

b. 4

composition: Op. 28 No. 21, Prelude in B♭ major

e1 on 6th quaver in A (→FE)

e1 on 6th quaver, L.H. finger 1 in EE1

e1 on 6th quaver, R.H. finger 2 in FES

e1 on 3rd beat, under slur in FC (→GE)

e1 on 3rd beat, no slur in EE2
..

Interpreting the top note of the 6th L.H. quaver, e1, as a R.H. crotchet on the 3rd beat of the bar is almost certainly Fontana's mistake. The copyist was most probably misled by the note having been written on the top stave, the poorly visible top fragment of the stem combining that note with c and the dot extending the g1 minim at the beginning of the bar having been crossed out in A (the crossing-out most probably provided for the discussed e1 to be performed with the right hand; in addition, it was probably to be completed by a crotchet rest, which Chopin, however, did not do). Having completed the rhythm of the R.H. melody with that note, Fontana also led to it the phrase mark encompassing the first phrase. The change in EE2 must have been introduced under the influence of GE1. In the main text we give the notation of A (→FE→EE1), supplemented by a crotchet rest.

To eliminate the possibility of creating incoherent combinations of variants from different notes, we include the fingering of EE and FES, which applies to the e1 quaver, here, in the variants including that quaver.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Rhythmic errors , Deletions in A , Errors of FC , Inaccuracies in A

b. 5-13

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

..

In this Prelude Chopin generally did not use accidentals before the top notes in broken octaves – see b. 1-4. In the discussed bars, the problem concerns the following cases:

  • in b. 5 e2,
  • in b. 7 d3 and d3,
  • in b. 8 c3, c3 and b2,
  • in b. 9 b2, b2, a2, g2 and c3,
  • in b. 10, c3, c3, b2 and a2,
  • in b. 11 c3 and b2,
  • in b. 12 g2, f2 and g2,
  • in b. 13 g2, f2 and c2.

Such a notation is in A (→FC,FE), whereas EE1, EE2, GE1 and GE2 added the majority of the necessary accidentals (17, 20, 21 and 22 out of the necessary 23, respectively).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE

b. 5

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

  in A, contextual interpretation

  after A

  in GE (→FE,FESB)

  in EE
..

In A, the pair of dynamic hairpins was written as close as possible to the top voice so that it was clear that it concerned this very voice; the slightly shortened  mark is a result of lack of space. For reasons of clarity, in the main text we move the marks over the stave. In GE (→FE,FESB) the  mark was prolonged, which could be considered acceptable; however, as a consequence, the mark seems to concern the R.H. bottom voice too, which is exactly what Chopin wanted to avoid in A. In the version of EE, the original notation is distorted even more (due to lack of access to A).

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Scope of dynamic hairpins , EE inaccuracies , Inaccuracies in A

b. 5-6

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

 in A, contextual interpretation

in GE (→FE)

in EE

in FESB
..

In A, the short  mark is placed in b. 6; however, since it reaches only the 1st crotchet in that bar, it is obvious that it concerns the f1-g1 step between the bars, which we give in the main text. The versions of editions are based on the interpretation of that mark performed by GE1, in which its right-hand ending is led to the 2nd beat of the bar, which has no basis in the notation of A. In spite of minor differences in the range of the marks in the editions, we regard them as different, since each may suggest a slightly different beginning or ending of the crescendo, while the mark in FESB actually resembles a reversed accent.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , Scope of dynamic hairpins , EE inaccuracies , Inaccuracies in A