mUltimate Chopin

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : fz – f

b. 12

composition: Op. 10 No 2, Etude in A minor

No marking in Ap

 in FE (→GE,EE) 
..

The  sign in FE (→GE,EE), unjustified in this context (cf. analogous bars 4 and 39), is probably a result of an overlap of two mistakes:

  • Chopin overlooked this place, while reducing the number of  signs in the autograph prepared as the base for printing (Ap has 11 signs, including one in analogous bar 4; in the final version Chopin either did not include them at all or he replaced them with accents);
  • the engraver of FE put  instead of ; in the entire Op. 10 a similar mistake was committed on a number of occasions (in the Etudes in: E major, No. 3, bar 54, C minor, No. 4, bars 1, 8, 16, 26, 54, E minor, No. 6, bars 21 and 32, C minor, No. 12, bar 37).

Due to these reasons we omit this in the main text. Cf. bar 27.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , fz – f

b. 13

composition: Op. 16, Rondo in E♭ major

in FE (→EE)

in GE
..

Change of  to  is a quite common mistake in the first editions of Chopin's pieces – cf. e.g. the Etude in C Minor, Op. 10 No. 4, bar 1.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE , fz – f

b. 16-18

composition: Op. 10 No 4, Etude in C♯ minor

No markings in AI

 in FE (→GE,EE)

 suggested by the editors
..

The error of FE (→GE,EE) in bar 16 is undeniable:

  •  appears in the editions in three strictly analogous bars 18, 20 and 22;
  •  is rewritten already at the beginning of bar 16.

In all the aforementioned bars AI has only accents, without additional indications. Cf. bars 20-22.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , fz – f

b. 17

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

No indications in AI

 & ten. in A

 in FE (→GE,EE)
..

The way in which the  indication is written in A makes a misinterpretation highly likely. Due to this fact, in the main text we give preference to this version. Apart of the change of  to  in FE (→GE,EE), the ten. indication for the chord in the L.H. was omitted (the indication for the R.H. was reproduced in accordance with A), which reinforces the conviction about the engraver's inattention.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , fz – f

b. 19

composition: Op. 25 No 8, Etude in D♭ major

 in A (→GE) & EE3

 in FE

 in EE1 (→EE2)

 suggested by the editors
..

The type of the sign indicating the local culmination and its exact placement raise some doubts here:

  •  present in A (→GE) could have been replaced with  in the base texts to FE and EE1, which, in this situation, would have been Chopin's latest decision;
  • the  signs in FE and EE1 (→EE2) are placed slightly later and in different places, hence one can suspect an inaccurate reproduction of Chopin's notation or its misunderstanding.

In the main text we suggest a  as a result of Chopin's possible correction, placed in accordance with the musical sense at the beginning of the bar.

EE3 adopted the version of GE.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: fz – f , Centrally placed marks