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b. 201

composition: Op. 12, Variations in B♭ major

Third in FE (→GE,EE)

e, our alternative suggestion
..

According to us, it is quite likely that the 1st L.H. quaver was being corrected in this bar in FE. The beam, placed too high, suggests that initially there was just one note, g, while the e notehead was added later. It is also likely that the correction was aimed at changing the probably erroneous bass note, from g to e, and not at adding another note. An e note would constitute a regular fourth leap with the preceding B note, soon repeated a second lower as A-d. Therefore, the correction would have remained unfinished, which was a frequent occurrence in Chopin's pieces (cf., e.g. the Ballade in F, Op. 38, bar 179 or the Concerto in F minor, Op. 21, mov. III, bar 282). The absence of a direct resolution of the a seventh from the preceding bar is not unusual in such accompanying figures, cf., e.g. the Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49, bars 78 and 82 or the Nocturne in F minor, Op. 48 No. 2, bars 5-6 and analog. Taking into account the above, we suggest a more regular e-e1-b figure, justified by the above scenario, as an alternative version with respect to the source text.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Errors in FE , Terzverschreibung error , Authentic corrections of FE , Partial corrections

b. 202-203

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

a1 not tied in EE

a1 tied in GC (→GE) & FE
..

Lacking in EE is the tie sustaining a flat1, which is probably the engraver's oversight.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in EE

b. 202-204

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

1. Original version in A

2. Later version of A (→FE1,EE)

3. GC, contextual interpretation

GE

4. FE2 (→FE3)

Our variant suggestion
..

The ending of the Ballade has a few versions proving Chopin's hesitations. We present them below in a chronological order:

  1. The original version in A.
  2. The later version in A (→EE), added by Chopin under the deleted version No. 1. This version was copied to GC, where Chopin would then modify it (with an erroneous c1 instead of d1 in bar 203).
  3. The version of GC changed by Chopin. This version was adopted by GE by correcting the bottom note in bar 203 and adding an erroneous slur combining the grace note and the g minim.
  4. The version of FE2, corrected by Chopin.

As it can be seen, Chopin had two main concepts of the Ballade's endings, "open" and "close." According to us, it is the version No. 1 that presents the first of them in the most thoughtful manner, while in the case of the latter it is the version No. 4. In the main text we give the version No. 1, enriched with variant, characteristic for Chopin grace note added in GC.

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

issues: Corrections in A , Chopin's hesitations , Errors resulting from corrections , Terzverschreibung error , Deletions in A , Authentic corrections of FE , Errors of GC , Authentic corrections in GC

b. 202

composition: Op. 35, Sonata in B♭ minor, Mvt I

B in GC (→GE) & FE2 (→EE,FE3→FE4)

G in FE1
..

The version of FE1 is most probably a mistake, corrected already in FE2.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Terzverschreibung error , FE revisions

b. 202

composition: Op. 35, Sonata in B♭ minor, Mvt I

..

In the main text we add cautionary flats before B in the L.H. and b1-b2 in the R.H.

category imprint: Editorial revisions