mUltimate Chopin

Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Uncertain slur continuation

b. 129-130

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

..

In A, the slur at the end of b. 129, the last on the page, clearly suggests that it should be continued, yet there is no ending thereof in b. 130. We assume – as FE (→GE,EE) did – that it reaches b, the 1st crotchet in b. 130. 

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Source & stylistic information

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 138

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Overlapping slurs in A, probable interpretation

Continuous slur in FE (→GE,EE)
..

In A, the slur at the end of b. 137, which ends the line, clearly indicates that it should be continued, yet in b. 138 a new slur begins. This very frequent inaccuracy was interpreted by FE (→GE,EE) as a continuous slur. In the main text we suggest a different solution, since in b. 138 a new theme of the Ballade begins.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 169-170

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Continuous slur in A (→contextual interpretation of FE→GE) & GE1a

Separate slurs in EE
..

In A (→FE,EE), b. 169 ends the line, which resulted in an inaccuracy in the reproduction of the slur – at the end of b. 169 the aforementioned editions suggest that it should be continued, yet in b. 170 a new slur starts from the 1st crotchet (in all of them). In EE and GE1a these bars are in one line, yet each of them interpreted this vague notation differently – EE separated the slurs, while GE1a combined them. We reproduce the inaccurate version of FE and GE in the graphic transcription (version 'transcript'); by contrast, we adopt a continuous slur as the text of these editions (version 'edited text'), in accordance with A.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in FE , Uncertain slur continuation , Errors repeated in GE

b. 182

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Separate slurs in A, interpretation suggested by the editors

Continuous slurs in FE (→GE,EE)
..

At the end of b. 182 and 186, which end their respective lines, the slurs of A suggest that they should be continued, which is, however, not confirmed by the new slurs in b. 183 and 187. The interpretation adopted by FE (→GE,EE) seems rational, taking into account the longer slurs in b. 180-181 and 184-185. In the main text we suggest an alternative interpretation in which the range of the slurs is related to harmonic changes – the individual slurs encompass a figuration based on one chord.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 196-197

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur to g1 in A (contextual interpretation) & GE2 (→GE3→GE4)

Slur to a1 in A (literal reading→FE→EE,GE1→GE1a)
..

The slur in b. 196, which ends the page in A, indicates that it should be continued; however, there is no continuation thereof on a new page (its beginning is also inaccurate but it does not hamper its interpretation). Due to the reasons discussed in b. 194-195, we believe that Chopin could have meant a longer slur already here (to the g1 minim); however, in the main text we give the version of FE (→EE,GE1→GE1a) due to the Chopinesque intervention at the beginning of b. 197 (an accent added over g1).
The longer slur of GE2 (→GE3→GE4) resulted from retouches to the top right-hand corner of the page, which required re-engraving a certain fragment of the text, which was not always reproduced accurately (cf. b. 197-198). Compliance of this version with A is of an accidental nature. 

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Uncertain slur continuation