It is difficult to determine the range of the slurs in this and similar phrases (bars 125-127, 127-129, 129-131 and analogously in bars 139-146). Most of the slurs are written carelessly; the slurs often end clearly too early, as it is difficult to assume that Chopin would have wanted to end a slur, e.g. on the 6th quaver (bar 124 and 128) or on the 4th quaver (bar 144). In some cases, the starting point of some slurs is uncertain too (e.g. in bar 127 or 143), which, due to the rather obvious figuration structure at the beginning of these phrases, does not raise doubts as to the intended range of the slurs. According to us, in the case of the slurs in bar 124, 128, 140 and 144, it would be reasonable to lead the slur to the 7th quaver in the bar or to the beginning of the next bar. However, the latter is not to be found in the sources, not even once, hence in the main text we provide a slur reaching the 7th quaver in all these places. Similarly, in the case of the slurs in bar 126, 130, 142 and 146, it would be musically justified to lead the slur to the 7th or 8th quaver in the bar or to the beginning of the next bar. The latter is absent in A, yet there is one slur reaching the 7th quaver (bar 126) and one slur reaching the 8th quaver (bar 130); the remaining ones are shorter. In this situation, in the main text we provide this group of bars with slurs reaching the 7th quaver, suggesting slurs reaching the 8th quaver as an alternative solution.
In GE the majority of slurs reach the 7th quaver (bar 124, 128, 140, 144), while the remaining options are slurs reaching the 8th quaver (bar 130, 142 and 146) or the beginning of the next bar (bars 126-127). The remaining editions reproduce the GE text, except bar 140 in FE, in which the slur reaches the 8th quaver.
Compare the passage in the sources »
category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions
issues: Inaccurate slurs in A, GE revisions
notation: Slurs