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Pedalling in b. 17-23 in sources |
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No markings in the main text |
The pedalling of the Waltz generally fits well into the basic features of the Chopinesque pedalling, with particular emphasis on the Waltzes. The use of pedal, usually spanning one bar, is mainly aimed at holding bass notes, performed staccato at the beginning of a bar. In a few places, harmony permitting, the pedal is sustained for two bars, while in the virtuoso fragments in the introduction and the ending also longer. Nevertheless, concerns can be raised regarding the repetition of detailed markings in sections that appear a few times throughout the Waltz, without changes or with minor modifications.
A review of the preserved Chopinesque autographs of the waltzes, except those that were prepared by the composer as bases for first editions and drafts and working autographs, reveals that Chopin most often did not mark pedalling in them at all. Pedal markings are absent in 11 out of 17 autographs:
- the earliest autograph (AI) of the Waltz in E
, Op. 18 (Yale University Library, New Haven), - the earlier out of two preserved autographs (A1) of the Waltz in G, WN42 (Château de Thoiry),
- two autographs (AII and AIII) of the Waltz in D, Op. 64 No. 1,
- autograph of the earlier version of the Waltz in C
minor, Op. 64 No. 2, - the latest autograph (A3) of the Waltz in A, WN 47 (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris),
- 5 autographs of the Waltz in F minor, WN 55
Two autographs include a few indications, written either at the beginning of phrases as a pattern for further, similar situations or wherever the use of pedal is important but could be unobvious for the reader. These are:
- the later of the preserved autographs (A2) of the Waltz in G, WN42 (Yale University Library, New Haven) – markings in bars 1-5 and at the beginning of the middle section, bars 25-26 (7 out of 46 bars that undoubtedly require the use of pedal),
- another autograph (AII) of the Waltz in E, Op. 18 (Chopin Museum, Warsaw) – out of almost 200 written-down bars, pedal markings are indicated only in the first 4 bars of the theme (bars 5-8).
In two earlier autographs of the Waltz in A, WN 47 (A1 and A2) there are proportionally more markings, e.g. in A1 (lost, known from photographs) they are in 22 bars out of 48 written-down ones.
In this context, two autographs stand out, including very detailed markings, although generally schematic:
- autograph AI of the Waltz in A, Op. 34 No. 1, entered into the album of Countesses of Thun-Hohenstein (lost, known from a photocopy); this autograph generally contains a significant number of performance indications – more than in the published version – hence it has to be considered special,
- the earliest autograph (AI) of the Waltz in D, Op. 64 No. 1 (Universitätsbibliothek, Bonn).
According to us, it is rational to assume that, as far as the density of pedal markings is concerned, the [A] of the Waltz in E minor was close to the autographs of the Waltz in A, WN 47 constituting the 3rd group in the above list (in this respect, the Waltz in F, Op. 34 No. 1 and the Waltz in A, Op. 42 are similar, also known only from the editions). Taking into account the above, in the main text we omit the markings wherever they are already present in earlier analogous phrases. On this page it also concerns bars 17-23, and further also bars 41-47, 49-55 and 113-123 (repetitions of bars 9-15) and bars 65-71 and 73-87 (repetitions of bars 57-64).
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category imprint: Editorial revisions
notation: Pedalling