mUltimate Chopin

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in CGS

b. 1-2

composition: Op. 28 No. 7, Prelude in A major

 on E in A (→FC→GE, →FE→EE)

 on e1 in CXI

 on e1 (without ) in CGS
..

In A the  mark is written before the bass E, which, due to the significant horizontal spaces between subsequent notes, does not contribute to misunderstandings – both in FC (→GE) and FE (→EE) it was placed under that note. In turn, in CGS a respective mark was placed not only before the note (like in A), but also before the bar line; moreover, the e1 crotchet in the upbeat falls precisely over that mark, which already changes the meaning of that indication. Such a pedalling would be perfectly acceptable; however, it is difficult to say whether the copyist conveyed here a pedalling variant, perhaps authentic, or whether she simply inaccurately wrote the version of FE. A  mark at the beginning of the piece (written already under the time signature) appears also in CXI.

In CGS the discussed  mark is the only pedalling indication in the entire piece. Therefore, it suggests another possible explanation for such a position – placed at the beginning of the piece, the mark is just a general indication, according to which the pedalling should be natural (=harmonic).  

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: No pedal release mark , Inaccuracies in CGS

b. 3

composition: Op. 28 No. 9, Prelude in E major

 in A (→FC,FE→EE)

in GE

in CGS
..

The moved and shorter  hairpin in GE is most probably a mistake of the engraver. There is a similar situation in CGS.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in CGS

b. 7-12

composition: Op. 28 No. 20, Prelude in C minor

ritenuto in bars 7-8 in A (literal reading →FC,FE→EE1)

ritenuto in bars 11-12 in GE

ritenuto in both places in EE2

No indication
in AB & ACh

ritenuto in bar 7
in CGS
..

Due to the fact that b. 9-12 were added in the last phase of composing the Prelude and due to the abridged notation of those bars in A, it is uncertain how many ritenutos Chopin planned and where exactly. There are three possibilities, all are present in the sources:

  • ritenuto only in b. 7-8, where it was written in the manuscripts. We can observe this version in FE (→EE1).
  • ritenuto only in b. 11-12, like in GE.
  • ritenuto in both places, which is in EE2; it compiles the versions of FE and GE.

According to us, musically speaking, it is the ritenuto in b. 11-12 that is most natural, where, along with crescendo, it leads to the final fermata. We suggest this version (based on the assumption that Chopin did not fully adjust the notation of the Prelude to the new formal concept) in the main text.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in CGS

b. 11

composition: Op. 28 No. 9, Prelude in E major

Dashes in A (→FE→EE)

No dashes in FC (→GE)

Dashes in CGS
..

The missing dashes marking the range of cresc. must be an oversight of Fontana in FC (→GE). In CGS the dashes reach only the middle of the bar, which is one of many minor inaccuracies of that copy.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors of FC , Inaccuracies in CGS

b. 11-12

composition: Op. 28 No. 20, Prelude in C minor

cresc. - - in A (→FE→EE)

cresc. in bar 12 in FC

No indication in GE

cresc. in ACh

cresc. -, cresc. in CGS
..

In the main text we give the indication after A (→FE→EE). In A its correct placement is not possible due to the abridged notation of those bars; however, we consider the interpretation adopted in FE (→EE) to be accurate – due to the dashes marking the range of the crescendo, all that matters is to determine its starting point, which falls more or less in the middle of the bar. Placing cresc. (with no dashes) only in bar 12 is undoubtedly a mistake by Fontana, aggravated in GE by the omission of the indication.
In the 9-bar version of AB the dynamic course could have been different, hence the missing cresc. does not have to be considered an inaccuracy. An earlier beginning of the crescendo, as it was marked by Chopin in ACh, may be considered an equal variant.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE , Errors of FC , Inaccuracies in CGS