Ap
Main text
CLI - Copy by Linowski
Ap - Presentation autograph
FE - French edition
FEcor - Chopin's FE proof
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Corrected impression of FE1
FED - Dubois copy
FEJ - Jędrzejewicz copy
FES - Stirling copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE1a - Corrected impression of GE1
GE2 - Second German edition
GE3 - Third German edition
GE4 - Fourth German edition
GE5 - Fifth German edition
EE - English edition
EE2 - Second impression of [EE1]
EE3 - Corrected impression of EE2
EE4 - Revised impression of EE3
compare
  b. 1-5

 in Ap

cresc. in FEcor (in bars 5-6 cresc. - - -)

cresc. in FE (→GE,EE)

Our suggestion

The dynamic indications in bars 1-4 and analog. seem not to determine all the required details in the version of the piece dedicated for publication. In bars 13, 36 and 40 there is no cresc., while the expected after it dim. appears only in bar 8. The version of Ap is slightly more accurate in this respect: In all six places there are  signs, to which  signs correspond in bars 2, 10 and 14. However, as a whole of the markings of FEcor (in the final FE the dashes determining the range of the dynamic changes in bars 5-6 and 9-10 were omitted, which was repeated in GE and EE) some subtleties varying particular places may be considered as sufficient or even suggestive:

  • Chopin determined the range of cresc., leaving the continuation to the performer's taste. Perhaps it was related to prolonging the phrase's perspective, which is indicated by a possible  in bar 4 and dim. in bar 8. In Ap a number of other short-breathed dynamic changes was determined, which were then omitted – certainly in a conscious manner – in the printed version (e.g. in bars 30-31). It is also possible that Chopin did not want to make the dynamic details inside a phrase more precise, being conscious of various possibilities of their shaping – which is proved by, e.g., different placement of  in Ap in bars 2 and 10. 
  • Lack of indications in bars 13-14 may be understood as drawing the performer's attention to cresc. in bar 15.
  • Also in the final part of the Etude, omitting possible dynamic indications in bars 36-41 underlines those which Chopin gave in bars 42-48. The indications omitted in the subsequent appearances of the repeated fragments may always be interpreted as impliedly valid.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE, Authentic corrections of FE

notation: Verbal indications

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