mUltimate Chopin

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Issues : Fontana's revisions

b. 26-30

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

No trill endings in JC & GEF

Trill endings in FEF

PE

Our suggestion
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Trill endings in the form of a double grace note are to be found in FEF in all three analogous places (bars 26, 28, and 30), while in PE only in the first two. Regardless of whether the lack of ending in bar 30 appeared still in [A], or if it is a mere engraver's oversight, it seems to be highly unlikely that a trill in this place should be performed differently than in the previous two. 
Lack of endings in GEF proves that Fontana introduced last corrections into FEF after GEF had already been printed.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Fontana's revisions

b. 27

composition: Op. 28 No. 24, Prelude in D minor

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A is missing the  raising b1 to b1. The patent inaccuracy was corrected both in FC (→GE) and FE (→EE).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Omission of current key accidentals , Errors of A , FE revisions , Fontana's revisions

b. 27-32

composition: Op. 28 No. 12, Prelude in G♯ minor

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In these bars Chopin would consistently put accidentals in A (→FE) only next to the bottom notes of the L.H. octaves (or not at all, as is the case with the 2nd crotchet in b. 27-28). Moreover, in b. 32 the  lowering c1 to c1 was crossed out in A! In FC Fontana added only 4 naturals concerning c1, while GE and EE contain all necessary accidentals.

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

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Deletions in A , Fontana's revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE

b. 27

composition: Op. 28 No. 11, Prelude in B major

No sign in A

 in FC (→GE) & FE (→EE)
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category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: No pedal release mark , Fontana's revisions

b. 29-32

composition: Op. 28 No. 5, Prelude in D major

Pedalling in A

Pedalling in FC

Pedalling in FE

Pedalling in GE

Pedalling in EE
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In these bars, in spite of the strict analogy to b. 13-16 (except for the first two and the last semiquavers), Chopin wrote a different pedalling. Due to a dense notation and the use of an abbreviation in b. 32, it posed, however, similar challenges in its interpretation. The copyist considered – and rightly so – that leaving the last  mark written by Chopin (in b. 31) without a  mark is an inaccuracy, which he tried to fix by adding a  at the end of b. 31. However, that does not remove the inaccuracy if the markings in b. 32 are to be repeated – if such was the case, a  mark would be missing at the beginning of b. 32. The above is probably the reason why the pedalling in b. 32 was completely omitted in GE. According to us, Chopin's intention was interpreted correctly in FE, which repeated the markings from b. 31 in b. 32 and added a  mark at the end of it. Moreover, in FC (→GE) the  mark at the end of b. 29 was placed – contrary to A – under the last semiquaver. In FE it is also the marks at the end of b. 30 and 31 that were reproduced like that. EE stand out due to an erroneous omission of pedalling starting from the 3rd beat of b. 30.

See also b. 1-4. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Fontana's revisions