mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in A

b. 33

composition: Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

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In A (→FE) there are only 3 flats before the 1st chord – e2, c2 in the R.H. and a1 in the L.H. In FC and EE1 a  lowering c1 to c1 and a cautionary one before a were added, while in GE and EE2 a cautionary  before e1 was also added.
The necessary  lowering c1 to c1 was added in FED.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , EE revisions , Annotations in FED , Accidentals in different octaves , Cautionary accidentals , Fontana's revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE

b. 43

composition: Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

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In A one can see that Chopin initially wrote the mordent with a conventional  mark. In the grace notes added instead of , the  before c2 merged with the arpeggio sign, resulting in a mark resembling a . Consequently, in FE (→EE1) the 2nd grace note is c2. Chopin reacted to this mistake in FES by adding a  in pencil (which Miss Stirling later wrote in ink). The correct text is also to be seen in EE2, probably on the basis of GE1.

In this place, FCI includes an earlier version – there are no ornaments on the 4th quaver in the bar, while b1 is linked with a tie to the dotted crotchet at the beginning of the bar.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , EE revisions , Errors in FE , Corrections in A , Errors resulting from corrections , Deletions in A , Annotations in FES , Main-line changes , Inaccuracies in A

b. 44-46

composition: Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

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In A (→FC,FE) accidentals were inserted very inaccurately – in total, 4 sharps and 12 naturals are missing – which, however, does not impede the determination of the correct text. Accidentals were being added in GE and EE, although it is only in EE2 that the notation is totally correct. The naturals before the b-b1 octave in b. 44 were also added in FED.
Interestingly enough, the notation of FCI is more accurate than the one of A – only one  and 5 naturals are missing.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , EE revisions , Annotations in FED , Accidentals in different octaves , Errors in GE , GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE

b. 47-50

composition: Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

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As in the previous four-bar section, accidentals in A (→FE) are written inaccurately – 9 sharps are missing. In FC Fontana added one of them, yet overlooked the  before the middle note of the 2nd L.H. quaver in b. 47. A comparable number of deficiencies are to be found also in FCI. The oversights are obvious, and the majority of the accidentals were supplemented in GE and EE.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Errors of FC , Fontana's revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE