EE3
Main text
A - Autograph
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Corrected reprint of FE1
FED - Dubois copy
FEJ - Jędrzejewicz copy
FES - Stirling copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE1a - Another copy of #GE1
GE2 - Second German edition
GE3 - Revised impression of GE2
EE - English edition
EE1 - First English edition
EE2 - Corrected reprint of EE1
EE3 - Revised impression of EE2
compare
  b. 3

Fingering in A (→GE)

Fingering in FE & EE2 (→EE3)

No fingering in EE1

Our suggestion

Lack of fingering in EE1 and the differing indications in FE mean that the numerals in A were almost certainly added already after both copies serving as base texts to the aforementioned editions had been prepared. It is compatible with the natural supposition that the pencilled additions in the preserved set of manuscripts of the entire Op. 25 is the last phase of their preparation before handing them over to the German editor. In this situation, the fingering of FE could have been added more or less at the same time in the base text to this edition or added later in the proofreading of FE. The first possibility suggests that Chopin intentionally wrote different fingering to different manuscripts, as he considered both to be equally convenient. In turn, the fact of adding a different fingering in the proofreading of FE, when there was already no opportunity to change the entry in A, may be interpreted as a signal of the concept's change – it cannot be excluded that Chopin considered the new fingering to be clearly better (after all, he did not change it in any of the two pupil's copies bearing traces of development).

According to us, regardless of the fact when and how the fingering in FE was added, there are no grounds to consider it to be final, therefore, in the main text we include both variants of the fingering. The first nine pairs of numerals, given directly over the notes, come from FE and EE2 (→EE3), while the indications placed above and the last two pairs – with A (→GE). In EE1 there is no fingering in this bar.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Differences in fingering, Authentic corrections of FE

notation: Fingering

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Original in: Trinity College Library, Dublin