A
Main text
A - Autograph
FE - French edition
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 - First English edition
EE3 - Corrected impression of EE2
EE4 - Revised impression of EE3
compare
  b. 45-46

Slur in A

Inaccurate slur in FE (→GE1)

Slur in GE2 & EE

No slur in GE3 (→GE4GE5)

Our suggestion

The inaccurately written and partially poor visible slur of A probably runs from the beginning of bar 46 to the 1st quaver in bar 47. The reason not to include the beginning of the phrase in bar 45 in the slurring could be the corrections – perhaps Chopin originally wrote the chords with stems and ties under the notes, which hindered a naturally led slur over two bars. (Chopin's propensity to place slurs – if possible – from the side of note heads can be observed in, e.g., the autograph of the Etude in C minor, No. 12, bars 3 and 41.) 

In FE bars 45 and 46 are divided with the transition to the new line, which is a very often reason for the notation's inaccuracies, particularly slurs. The sign in bar 46 suggests a continuation of the slur from the previous bar, hence it cannot be excluded that the lack of the beginning of the slur in bar 45 is a result of the engraver's distraction at the time of performing Chopin's proofreading of FE.

Taking into account the aforementioned remarks, in the main text we suggest a natural slur, embracing the entire chordal phrase, such as it was undoubtedly marked in the case of a similar phrase in bars 47-48.

GE2 and EE repeat the slur of FE, shortening its left end to avoid the notation's inaccuracy.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions, Inaccuracies in FE, Inaccurate slurs in A, GE revisions

notation: Slurs

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