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b. 6-15

composition: Op. 28 No. 3, Prelude in G major

dim. & poco cresc. in FCI

No indications in A (→FC→GE, →FE→EE)
..

In FCI the identical places in terms of pitch and rhythm were marked differently, which is noteworthy – dim. in b. 6, yet poco cresc. in b. 15, i.e. in an analogous place. The fact that those indications were abandoned in the final version could have been related to the calmer tempo of the Prelude. See also b. 11, 27-30 and 32.

category imprint: Differences between sources

b. 6-7

composition: Op. 28 No. 6, Prelude in B minor

Fingering written into FEJ, probable reading

Fingering written into FES

No fingering in A (→FE,FC→GE)

Fingering in EE
..

In FEJ the mark referring to the e1 crotchet is illegible. According to us, it may be a fingering digit (2), written instead of a 'one' – it would then be the same notation that can clearly be seen in FES. The 1st finger on e1 in b. 6 visible in EE most probably also indicates that fingering.

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

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , EE revisions , Annotations in FES , Annotations in FEJ

b. 6

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

Separate slurs in A (→FE→EE) & CGS

Overlapping slurs in FC (→GE)

No slurs in CXI
..

The version of FC (→GE) most probably results from Fontana having misunderstood the notation of A – the second phrase mark in this bar seems to begin earlier due to the trace of a quaver beam, showing through from the Prelude No. 8 in F Minor, written on the next page.
No phrase marks in CXI – see the note on b. 1-12.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FC

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