mUltimate Chopin

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Issues : Chopin's hesitations

b. 13-14

composition: Op. 64 No 1, Waltz in D♭ major

Minim & quavers in As

Quavers in AI & A (→FE→GE,EE)

Triplet & quavers in AII & AIII
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The earlier autographs prove Chopin's ongoing quest concerning the smartest and most suggestive formula for the idea of a thread unfolding from a spinning ball. The idea – according to the testimony of Wilhelm von Lenz* – was suggested to the pupils by Chopin himself, using the words "it should be unfolding as [a thread] from a ball". Only in the final version, the melody, both in bars 5-7 and 13-15, has a homogeneous, smoothly "unfolding" form, without less or more evident sustentions (as it is in As and AI) or references to the initial phase of creation of an ostinato, spinning figure (as it is in AII and AIII).

* W. von Lenz, Uebersichtliche Beurtheilung der Pianoforte-Kompositionen von Chopin [...], "Neue Berliner Musikzeitung" 18 IX 1872.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Chopin's hesitations , Main-line changes

b. 13

composition: Op. 63 No. 2, Mazurka in F minor

No rest in As

f-g-d1 in FE (→EEW)

g-d1-f1 in GE

Our alternative suggestion
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After preparing As, Chopin decided to forgo the note played on the 3rd crotchet. Therefore, he had to choose whether the chord on the 2nd crotchet was to correspond to the chord in the previous or in the next bar (in terms of position). Initially, he opted for g-d1-f1, only later, while proofreading FE1, he changed it to f-g-d1, which is proven by the remaining elements of proofreading visible in FES. The version of GE (g-d1-f1) proves that the German edition was based on a proof copy of FE1 from before this proofreading. The four-note chord in bar 53 combines the advantages of both versions, hence it seems that it could be used in bar 13 as well.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Chopin's hesitations , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 14-15

composition: Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

Broken slur in AI, FE, EE2 (→EE3) & GE2 (→GE3)

Continuous slur in A (→GE1→GE1a) & EE1
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The compatibility of the slurring of AI and FE (here and in bars 15-16) is puzzling, as a coincidence seems to be highly unlikely. Chopin could have returned to the original slurring in the base text to FE or at the time of proofreading this edition, so the issue whether the long slur written in A is the expression of Chopin's final intention cannot be conclusively resolved.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: EE revisions , Chopin's hesitations , GE revisions

b. 15

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

Second in CLI

d3 in Ap & FE (→GE,EE) 
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In the lower voice CLI has the d3-e3 second. This original version was not entirely forgotten by Chopin during proofreading of FE, which is proved by adding and then deleting e3 in FEcor. Cf. bar 42.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Chopin's hesitations , Accompaniment changes

b. 15-16

composition: Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

Broken slur in AI & FE

Continuous slur in A (→GE) & EE
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The slurring of AI and FE points to one-bar motifs in the internal voices.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Chopin's hesitations