mUltimate Chopin

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Errors of A

b. 7

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

..

There are no accidentals before the last pair of demisemiquavers in A. Therefore, they should be interpreted as c2 and c3 (the  before the 5th demisemiquaver of the bar is in force), which is, of course, impossible. In this Prelude Chopin took it for granted that the second and last demisemiquavers in each group are an octave higher than the preceding melodic note, thus he marked precisely only the pitch of the melodic notes (cf. b. 1-4). Therefore, there are no doubts that it is the bottom note that is written correctly, c2, and the inaccuracy concerns the top note, which must be a c3. Interestingly enough, the absence of a  restoring c3 was not noticed in any of the remaining sources, even in GE2, in which a cautionary  was added before c2.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Omissions to cancel alteration , Errors of A

b. 7

composition: Op. 28 No. 9, Prelude in E major

F in A (→FC), literal reading

F in FE (→EE), GE & CGS
..

When interpreted literally, the chord on the 3rd beat of the bar in A (→FC) consists of the following notes: F1-F-b-d1-f1, which, in turn, results in a G major chord (F major), which could be a part of this harmonic sequence. However, Chopin would generally avoid such an unnatural orthography; therefore, he most probably overlooked here the naturals lowering all f notes to f. They were added both in FE (→EE) and GE, and the composer did not question the printed naturals in any of the three teaching copies containing annotations coming from him.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals , Errors of A , FE revisions

b. 7

composition: Op. 28 No. 10, Prelude in C♯ minor

Dotted minim in sources

Minim suggested by the editors
..

Holding the g note to the very end of the bar, as it was given in A and in all the remaining sources, is inconvenient from the pianistic point of view and practically imperceptible against the trill performed with pedal in the bass. Therefore, it is almost certainly a mistake of Chopin, who did not realize that in this bar – unlike in all analogous ones – the first note of the bar is not a part of the chord on the 3rd beat. 

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Rhythmic errors , Errors of A , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE

b. 8

composition: Op. 10 No 5, Etude in G♭ major

Crotchet in A

Quaver in FE (→GE,EE)
..

In A the first chord in the L.H. is a crotchet. The possible mistake (theoretically it could be considered as a simplified two-voice notation) was corrected in FE (→GE,EE).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Rhythmic errors , Errors of A , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 8

composition: Op. 10 No 6, Etude in E♭ minor

..

In A there is no  returning d1 on the penultimate semiquaver in the R.H. The natural next to the subsequent note proves that Chopin forgot about the existence of d1 at the beginning of the bar. The sign was added in a proofreading of FE (→GE,EE).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Omissions to cancel alteration , Errors of A , Authentic corrections of FE