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Issues : Placement of markings

b. 75

composition: Op. 63 No. 1, Mazurka in B major

 over d2 in AI & GE3

 under b in FE (→EE,GE1→GE2)
..

As in bar 5 (and 71), the  mordent having been placed under b resulted from a routine revision of FE (→EE,GE1→GE2). The misleading version was corrected only just in GE3.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Placement of markings , GE revisions , FE revisions

b. 76-77

composition: Op. 27 No 2, Nocturne in D♭ major

Slurs in  A (→GE1)

FE

EE and GE2
..

In the main text we give two motivic slurs visible in A (→GE1): over the R.H. and under the L.H. In FE, the L.H. slur was moved to the note head side, thus becoming a tie. In the editors' opinion this is due to the engraver's mannerism, not the result of Chopin's correction. In EE and GE2 two more slurs were arbitrarily added, one for each hand, and as a result a flat is also sustained in those two editions.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in FE , Placement of markings , GE revisions

b. 77-78

composition: Op. 50 No. 2, Mazurka in A♭ major

Slur in A1 & GE

Tie in FE (→EE)
..

In FE (→EE) a routine transfer of the slur to the side of noteheads changed the unequivocal slur of A1 into a tie of c1. Unlike in b. 65-66, no attempts were taken to correct that mistake. In the main text we give the unequivocal version of A1 and GE.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Placement of markings , Omitted correction of an analogous place

b. 78-79

composition: Op. 50 No. 2, Mazurka in A♭ major

Slur in A1 & GE

Tie in FE (→EE)
..

In FE (→EE) a routine transfer of the slur to the side of noteheads changed the unequivocal slur of A1 into a tie of b. It is noteworthy that in analogous b. 62-63 the same slur of A1 was reproduced in FE correctly, which suggests that the aforementioned place was proofread. In the main text we give the unequivocal version of A1 and GE.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Placement of markings

b. 87-97

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

Accents on lower staff in GE

Accents above upper staff in FE (→EE)
..

It is unclear what caused the difference in the placement of the accents between GE and FE (→EE). One could assume that each version might be non-compliant with Chopin's notation:

  • the engraver of GE, upon seeing the accents above the stems of the R.H. octaves, could have moved them to the side of the noteheads, which was quite a frequent, routine procedure (in GE the majority of those accents are placed closer to the R.H. octave);
  • the copyist or engraver of FE, upon seeing the marks on the stave (between the octaves of both hands), could have moved them up to make them more legible.

At the same time, it means that each version of notation may be authentic; if FE were based on a second autograph, then even both. In the main text we give the notation of our principal source, i.e. FE, which is also supported by:

  • the accents of GE in the repetition of this section with an expanded ambitus, placed clearly above the R.H. octaves (in GE accents are only in b. 119-121 there, which, however, does not undermine this argument).
  • the appearance of accents (in b. 87) along with the a-a1 octaves, constituting the top pedal note in this entire section, generally accented by Chopin, cf., e.g. d2 in the Andante spianato, Op. 22, b. 55-62 or c2 in the Polonaise in A major, Op. 53, b. 143-151.

In the main text we place the accents above the top stave, as it was performed in FE.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Placement of markings