mUltimate Chopin

Op. 25 No 7, Etude in C♯ minor

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b. 7

composition: Op. 25 No 7, Etude in C♯ minor

No grace note in GC (→GE), FE & EE

Grace note in FED

Our variant suggestion
..

The grace note indicating the manner of beginning the trill – from the top note – was written by Chopin in FED. Similarly in analogous bar 51. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , Annotations in FED

b. 37

composition: Op. 25 No 7, Etude in C♯ minor

No grace note in GC (→GE), FE & EE

More likely reading of grace note in FED

Less likely reading of grace note in FED
..

The grace note added in FED is placed inaccurately, so that one does not know whether it is a or g (or g). In face of such a significant doubt, we do not include this addition in the main text, particularly due to the fact that the most likely interpretation of the grace note – as a – indicates a way of beginning the trill compatible with the classical rule, which Chopin generally used, hence not requiring an additional marking. 

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , Annotations in FED

b. 47

composition: Op. 25 No 7, Etude in C♯ minor

Probable mordent in GC

No mark in FE, GE & EE

Our variant suggestion
..

The  sign, visible in GC, yet absent in the remaining sources, could have been added by Chopin as one of the elements varying the return of this theme (the other ones are the F1 grace note in bar 50 and, above all, the chromatic scale in bar 52). However, its absence in GE is puzzling, as it seems to be highly unlikely for it to be unnoticed by both the engraver of GE1 and editors preparing GE2. According to us, the sign was considered to be a deletion of the end of the extended (combined) slur. A few such deletions are indeed in GC – in bars 20, 26, 38, 39, 56 and 65 – however, all of them are clearly longer (shorter fragments, e.g., in bars 6-7 remained non-deleted). Taking into account the missing sign in FE and EE and possible doubts concerning its content, in the main text we suggest a mordent in a variant form, in brackets.   

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Main-line changes , Authentic corrections in GC

b. 50

composition: Op. 25 No 7, Etude in C♯ minor

Grace note in GC

Grace note in FE

Slashed grace note in GE & EE3

No grace note in EE1 (→EE2)
..

The F1 grace note in GC was added in pencil, which means that Chopin added it in the last phase of preparations of base texts for three editions of Opus 25 (the main goal of these additions was probably the fact of introducing metronome tempos, which are in the form of pencil additions in the manuscripts of 11 etudes). The missing quaver flag in FE is most probably an inaccuracy resulting from haste at the time of performing numerous Chopin corrections. In turn, the notation with the slashed quaver is certainly a result of routine revision of GE (the notation undoubtedly corresponds to the correct performance of this ornament, as only a few Chopin slashed grace notes are to be interpreted as appoggiaturas).

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Accompaniment changes , Authentic corrections of FE , Authentic corrections in GC

b. 51

composition: Op. 25 No 7, Etude in C♯ minor

No grace note in GC (→GE), FE & EE

Grace note in FED

Our variant suggestion
..

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , Annotations in FED