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b. 7

composition: Op. 28 No. 23, Prelude in F major

No fingering in A (→FE,FC→GE)

Fingering in EE
..

Nothing indicates that the fingering in EE could have come from Chopin.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions

b. 7-8

composition: Op. 28 No. 22, Prelude in G minor

Continuous slur in A, contextual interpretation

Separate slurs in FC (→GE) & FE (→EE)
..

Bar 7 is marked in A (→FC) in an abridged manner as repetition of b. 6. It brings into question the slurring, since the slur over b. 8 begins in A before the end of b. 7, which suggests that it should be combined with the preceding slur, which, in fact, is not written out. In FE (→EE) the slurs are not combined; however, since both the range and the shape of the slur in b. 8 suggest that it should be continued, in the main text we encompass these bars with a continuous slur. The slur of FC, although generally very similar to the slur of A, does not imply continuation, hence the motif in b. 8 in GE is encompassed with a separate slur.

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

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A

b. 7

composition: Op. 28 No. 22, Prelude in G minor

..

In the manuscripts this bar is marked in an abridged manner as repetition of the preceding one.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Abbreviated notation of A

b. 7-12

composition: Op. 28 No. 21, Prelude in B♭ major

Slurs in A (→FE→EE)

No slurs in FC (→GE)
..

The missing L.H. slurs in FC (→GE) beginning in b. 7 and 11 (as well as 12 – see note in this bar) most probably resulted from the copyist's inadvertence.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors of FC

b. 7-12

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

ritenuto in bars 7-8 in A (literal reading →FC,FE→EE1)

ritenuto in bars 11-12 in GE

ritenuto in both places in EE2

No indication
in AB & ACh

ritenuto in bar 7
in CGS
..

Due to the fact that b. 9-12 were added in the last phase of composing the Prelude and due to the abridged notation of those bars in A, it is uncertain how many ritenutos Chopin planned and where exactly. There are three possibilities, all are present in the sources:

  • ritenuto only in b. 7-8, where it was written in the manuscripts. We can observe this version in FE (→EE1).
  • ritenuto only in b. 11-12, like in GE.
  • ritenuto in both places, which is in EE2; it compiles the versions of FE and GE.

According to us, musically speaking, it is the ritenuto in b. 11-12 that is most natural, where, along with crescendo, it leads to the final fermata. We suggest this version (based on the assumption that Chopin did not fully adjust the notation of the Prelude to the new formal concept) in the main text.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in CGS