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b. 350-358

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

 & cresc. ed animato in A (→FC→GE)

No indications in FE (→EE)
..

The fact that an entire group of dynamic markings –  in b. 350, cresc. ed animato in b. 354-355 and  in b. 358 – is missing in FE (→EE) raises suspicions. The manuscript, in spite of few crossings-out, is perfectly legible; therefore, it is difficult to understand what could have provoked their omission. Could it have been Chopin that removed them in the proofreading? In FE  and cresc. ed animato were omitted also in analogous b. 452 & 456-457, which could be considered an argument for a change of the concept of that fragment. In the main text we give them on the basis of the authority of A and FC, carefully elaborated by Chopin in terms of performance indications.
 is discussed separately due to the revision introduced in GE2.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE

b. 350

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

End of slur in A, literal reading

Slur to B in A, possible interpretation

Slur to e in A, contextual interpretation (→FC→GE, →FE→EE)

2 slurs in A, different interpretation
..

It is difficult to interpret the slur of A, since it ends abruptly under the 3rd crotchet, which does not point to a clear ending thereof. We suggest a few possibilities. To the main text we choose the one that is most similar to the notation of an analogous place (b. 452). This is how it was interpreted in the sources based directly on A, i.e. FE and FC.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A

b. 350-351

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt IV

Slur to c1 in A, literal reading

Slur to e1 in GE (→FE,EE,IE)

Slur to f1 suggested by the editors
..

The range of the A slur is musically unjustified – Chopin stopped writing it to avoid the clash with the last quavers in the bar or the  mark (see the description of A in I mov. of the Sonata).

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , GE revisions

b. 351-352

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

Beginning of the slur in EE & FE

GC (→GE)
..

It is not clear which beginning of the slur is definite or authentic (it is easy to find slurring inaccuracies when reading Chopin). Both solutions can be justified in musical terms by phrase structure and harmonic flow: 

  • slur beginning with b. 351 indicates prediction of Scherzo's main theme in LH and emphasises progression to a C minor dominant chord that started in b. 335;
  • slur beginning in b. 352 is a natural continuation of the rhythm of phrasing.

category imprint: Differences between sources

b. 351

composition: Op. 11, Concerto in E minor, Mvt I

 in FE (→GE) & EE3

No sign in EE1 (→EE2)

Interpretation of  suggested by the editors

Long accent, our alternative suggestion
..

When interpreted literally, the  in FE (→GE) is puzzling, since  denotes a local dynamic climax, after which one should rather expect a diminuendo, not to mention a crescendo on one note, problematic to perform on the piano. Therefore, we are probably dealing with an inaccuracy or even a mistake. One can imagine two possibilities – the mark was misplaced (e.g. moved to the right with respect to the notation of [A]) or reversed. In the main text, we are inclined to agree with the first possibility due to a similarly distorted  hairpin in the Concerto in F minor, op. 21, the 2nd mov., bar 84. The absence of the mark in EE1 (→EE2) seems to be an oversight, corrected in EE3. 

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , EE revisions , Errors in EE , Sign reversal