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b. 207-208
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composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor
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There are no doubts that the version of GE2 is arbitrary, although it is difficult to say what could have induced the reviser to introduce this change – whether he considered the authentic notation to be wrong, suggesting an improper performance, or whether he considered the change to be of an ordering nature, with no influence on the performance (see the next note). category imprint: Differences between sources issues: GE revisions |
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b. 207
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composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor
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We keep here the triplet slur, since it can also influence the articulation, just like the next one. The latter was initially a slur indicating an irregular group (quintuplet), yet Chopin prolonged it, thus giving it a different meaning, probably concerning articulation/motifs. category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information issues: Corrections in A , Triplet slurs |
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b. 207-208
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composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor
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Leading the slur as far as to the next bar is a clear misrepresentation of the notation of A by the engraver of FE (→GE,EE), perhaps influenced by the R.H. slur, which does reach the g1-d2 fifth. In the main text we keep the notation of A, in which the slur is written down with a flourish, yet it does not suggest going beyond the bar line. category imprint: Differences between sources issues: Embracing slurs , FE revisions |
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b. 207
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composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor
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In A (→FE→GE), there is no category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE |
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b. 207
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composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor
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In A, one can see numerous deletions in the L.H. part in this bar – it was only the initial octave that was not changed. Chopin deleted individual crotchets to eventually cross out the entire 2nd half of the bar and write the final version of the last three crotchets on an adjacent stave (below). We present a possible transcription of the main L.H. stave, taking into account a possible interpretation of the deleted crotchets:
category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information issues: Corrections in A , Deletions in A , Accompaniment changes |
raising f1 to f
1. The inaccuracy, typical of Chopin, was corrected only by 
. We would like to point out that the interpretation on the basis of the available photograph is subject to a great deal of uncertainty. Above all, we assume that the deleted crotchets were dyads and not, e.g. triads. The latter cannot be excluded, yet it seems that Chopin was looking for the best position and maybe also shape of this accompanying figure. To guess the initial version on the basis of this notation, we must first determine which of the seven crotchets written there constituted it. According to us, there are two possible approaches:
. This solution, seemingly obvious and musically reasonable, is seriously flawed – it requires an explanation: why would Chopin leave such a big gap between the 2nd and the 5th crotchets when writing this version on an empty stave. After all, he could not have reserved some space for later corrections. We consider the following explanation to be likely – Chopin 'blithely' entered the first half of the bar (bass and crotchets 1 and 2), ignoring the relation to the R.H.; it was only after he had realised that the parts of both hands were out of sync that he wrote the second half correctly. When he later decided to lower the position of this figure – most probably adjusting it to the position of the accompaniment in the next bar – he used the free space to enter the first two crotchets of the final version (nos. 3 and 4) and he crossed out the 2nd half of the bar and wrote the next three crotchets under the deletion.
. In this case, one has to assume that the corrections were carried out in two stages. First, crotchet 2 was replaced by crotchet 1, crotchet 3 was added and crotchet 5 was removed: 
. In the second stage, Chopin would delete crotchet 1 and the entire 2nd half of the bar, which he wrote on the stave below in a new version.