mUltimate Chopin

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Issues : Chopin's hesitations

b. 50

composition: Op. 10 No 6, Etude in E♭ minor

Rhythm & c1 in A, interpretation

Supplemented interpretation of A

Rhythm & c1 in FE (→GE1→GE1a)

Additional fingering in EE

Rhythm & c1 in GE2

Rhythm & c1-c1 in GE3 (→GE4) & EE4

Rhythm & c1 in GE5
..

The final version of the beginning of this bar is not entirely clear. A features a version with grace notes, yet written with a rhythmic error – the c1-f1 fourth is only a crotchet, without extending dots. It is most probably this error that caused that in FE the grace notes were interpreted as common semiquavers: . The traces of this version, rhythmically correct from the formal point of view, are visible in FE, yet Chopin corrected it afterwards, moving c1 to the beginning of the bar. According to us, at the time of performing this correction, the composer wanted to return to the intended version of A, which was however performed only in relation to the arrangement of c1 in the lower voice.

All accidentals added in GE and EE come from the revisers of these editions, while the  changing c1 to c1 in GE2 (→GE3→GE4) distorted the harmonic content of this bar.

In the main text we add cautionary flats before a1 and c1; the first of them is already included in EE and GE2 (→GE3→GE4→GE5).

The accents and the fingering are discussed separately. 

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions; Corrections & alterations

issues: Chopin's hesitations , GE revisions , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 53-61

composition: Op. 64 No 1, Waltz in D♭ major

No grace notes in As

Grace notes from bar 56 in AI

Grace notes from bar 53 in AII & AIII

Grace notes from bar 54 in A (→FE→GE,EE)
..

The a2 grace notes, as diversification of this phrase, appeared in the notation of the Waltz already after As had been finished (or Chopin did not see the need of adding them to the sketch). The presentation autographs prove Chopin's hesitation concerning the moment of introducing this effect. Starting from AII, the notation of the ornaments was enhanced through the introduction of little slurs combining them with the main notes.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Chopin's hesitations

b. 53-58

composition: Op. 63 No. 1, Mazurka in B major

No slurs in AI

6 slurs in FE (→GE,EE)

6 slurs in brackets suggested by editors
..

Six one-bar slurs in these bars probably replaced the longer slurs present in AI – see the notes on bars 49-56 and 57-60. However, while proofreading FE2 Chopin restored here longer slurs, almost of the same range as in AI. It makes us doubt whether it was supposed to be an addition to the already printed slurs or whether the composer actually wanted to return to the initial concept, and the fact that the shorter slurs remained unchanged resulted from the engraver not having implemented the more labour-consuming part of proofreading (removing an element was much more troublesome than adding an element, considering the then used print method). As we are uncertain as to Chopin's intention, in the main text we give short slurs in brackets, leaving the decision of whether to include them or not to the performer.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions; Corrections & alterations

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Chopin's hesitations , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 55-56

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

11 notes in AsI

10 notes in A (→GE→FE,EE,FESB)
..

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

issues: Chopin's hesitations

b. 59-71

composition: Op. 24 No. 2, Mazurka in C major

..

In bars 59, 63, 67 (R.H.) and 71 (L.H.) in A there are traces of deleting the dot extending the crotchet on the 2nd beat of the bar and the quaver flag at the last note of the bar. However, the spatial arrangement  of those notes within the bar shows that the initial version of the rhythm was just like the final version – 2 quavers and 2 crotchets. It seems that in the course of his work on A Chopin twice changed his mind about the rhythm in those bars:

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Chopin's hesitations , Main-line changes