mUltimate Chopin

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in GE

b. 5-6

composition: Op. 28 No. 5, Prelude in D major

 signs in A (→FC,FE→EE)

signs in GE
..

Except for GE, in the sources the placement of the pedal asterisks was quite accurately reproduced after A – the differences do not exceed a half of a semiquaver. In turn, the pedal in b. 5 in GE encompasses the entire bar, which deviates from the notation of FC to such an extent that one can assume a mistake, e.g. printing the  from the previous bar. The mark in b. 6 was also reproduced inaccurately, moving it towards the end of the bar.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Errors in GE

b. 5-12

composition: Op. 28 No. 9, Prelude in E major

Slur in bars 5-12 in A (→FE→EE)

Slur in bars 5-8 in FC

Slurs in bars 5-6 & 7-8 in GE

Slur in bars 10-12 in CGS
..

The slur, encompassing the entire L.H. part in these bars, was reproduced incompletely in some sources, while GE reproduced it inaccurately:

  • In FC Fontana overlooked the ending of the slur in the last line of his copy (b. 9-12). Although the slur of FC suggests a continuation at the end of b. 8, GE considered it an inaccuracy and led the slur only to B1 in that bar.
  • Moreover, in GE the issue of combining the slurs in b. 6-7 remains unclear – the slur in b. 6, at the end of the line, may suggest a continuation, which is not confirmed by the slur in b. 7. We assume that they are divided slurs.
  • In CGS the first L.H. slur appears only just in b. 10-12. The beginning of that slur, suggesting a continuation from the previous bar, proves a serious inadvertence of the copyist.

A slur compliant with the notation of A is to be found in FE (→EE) only. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Errors of FC , Errors in CGS

b. 5-6

composition: Op. 28 No. 20, Prelude in C minor

Continuous slur in A (→FC,FE→EE), AB, ACh & CGS

Separate slurs in GE
..

The notation of the slurs of FC, although generally compliant with A, may raise doubts – the ending of the slur in b. 5, which closes the line, only slightly goes beyond the bar line; therefore, the fact that the engraver of GE assumed that the slur ended in b. 5 does not actually come as a surprise, especially since the previous three slurs practically reached the bar lines.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE

b. 5

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

  in A, contextual interpretation

  after A

  in GE (→FE,FESB)

  in EE
..

In A, the pair of dynamic hairpins was written as close as possible to the top voice so that it was clear that it concerned this very voice; the slightly shortened  mark is a result of lack of space. For reasons of clarity, in the main text we move the marks over the stave. In GE (→FE,FESB) the  mark was prolonged, which could be considered acceptable; however, as a consequence, the mark seems to concern the R.H. bottom voice too, which is exactly what Chopin wanted to avoid in A. In the version of EE, the original notation is distorted even more (due to lack of access to A).

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Scope of dynamic hairpins , EE inaccuracies , Inaccuracies in A

b. 5-6

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

 in A, contextual interpretation

in GE (→FE)

in EE

in FESB
..

In A, the short  mark is placed in b. 6; however, since it reaches only the 1st crotchet in that bar, it is obvious that it concerns the f1-g1 step between the bars, which we give in the main text. The versions of editions are based on the interpretation of that mark performed by GE1, in which its right-hand ending is led to the 2nd beat of the bar, which has no basis in the notation of A. In spite of minor differences in the range of the marks in the editions, we regard them as different, since each may suggest a slightly different beginning or ending of the crescendo, while the mark in FESB actually resembles a reversed accent.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , Scope of dynamic hairpins , EE inaccuracies , Inaccuracies in A