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b. 6

composition: Op. 28 No. 7, Prelude in A major

..

In the main text we omit the unjustified cautionary  before g1, featured in all sources.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Cautionary accidentals , Last key signature sign

b. 6

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

..

In all sources, the last note in the 1st half of the bar is an a2; like in analog. b. 20. As they are the only places in which the last two demisemiquavers of the principal figure of the Prelude do not constitute the interval of an octave, one could assume a mistake of Chopin, e.g. a Terzverschreibung error. However, the following arguments are against a possible mistake:

  • In A this figure is written out with notes in both bars (without abbreviations and repetitions) and without corrections. Therefore, it is extremely improbable that Chopin would have committed the same mistake twice in this exact place.
  • Terzverschreibung errors are caused by a confusing impact of a combination of a few identical, parallel lines. Consequently, such mistakes occur within the stave or on ledger lines, but not between the stave and a ledger line.
  • An extended span of figurations that generally fit into an octave is often to be found in Chopin's pieces, e.g. in the Preludes No. 9 in E Major, b. 2, 4 and 8, No. 15 in D Major, b. 70 and 72-75, No. 23 in F Major, b. 14 or in the Etude in A Major, Op. 10 No. 10, b. 61-62 and 68 or the Etude in F Major, Op. 25 No. 3, b. 18 and 20.
  • Chopin's use of a2 in the discussed place may be justified by his willingness to avoid a false relation between f2-f1 and the next note in the L.H.

According to us, the above arguments rule out the possibility of a mistake in the discussed situation; f2 instead of a2 encountered in some later editions must be erroneous.

category imprint: Source & stylistic information

b. 6-13

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

..

As was the case in b. 3-4, in A Chopin generally omits accidentals next to the bass quavers if the accidentals have been written an octave higher next to one of the preceding semiquavers. In the discussed bars it concerns f in b. 6, c1 and b in b. 7, g and g in b. 8, f in b. 9 and 11, B and G in b. 11, B in b. 12 and G in b. 13. That notation was literally repeated in FE; in FC almost without changes (only one  added next to B in b. 11). The remaining editions added the majority of the necessary accidentals – in EE1 all except for the  next to G in b. 13, while in GE1 all except for the naturals next to f in b. 6 and G in b. 11 (in GE2 the former was added). It is only EE2 that includes a fully correct notation.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

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

b. 6

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

..

In the main text we add a cautionary  before f2. We also keep the cautionary  before d1 in the L.H. part, present in all sources.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Cautionary accidentals

b. 6-11

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

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As was the case in the Prelude No. 8 in F Minor, Chopin assumed that the middle notes of the triplets did not require an accidental if a respective accidental had been written before a top-voice note placed an octave higher. In A (→FC→FE) and CGS there is not a single out of 8 necessary accidentals –  before c and d in b. 6, g in b. 7, c in b. 9-10, d in b. 10-11 and a  before d in b. 11. The remaining editions added the majority of accidentals; however, none of them features a fully correct text:

  • GE1 added 6 accidentals – the  before c in b. 10 and the  before d in b. 11 were overlooked;
  • GE2 added to them only a  in b. 11;
  • EE1 added 5 accidentals – the  before d in b. 6 and 10 and the  before d in b. 11 were overlooked;
  • EE2 added to them only  before d in b. 6 and 10.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE