mUltimate Chopin

(Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

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b. 133-134

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

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As in previous bars, in A Chopin left out all necessary accidentals to the top notes of the even quavers – the naturals to a2 and e3 and the sharps to f3 (both), e3 and d3. He did not write the  raising c2 to c2 on the 7th quaver in bar 134 either. All these patent inaccuracies were corrected in GE (→FE,EE,IE).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 139

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

g3 in A (→GE→EE,IE)

g3, our alternative suggestion

g3 in FE
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One can doubt whether the A version (→GE→EE,IE) featuring g3 corresponds to Chopin's intention. The comparison with three analogous places, in which Chopin immediately introduces the key of the starting four-bar section (in bar 123 D minor, in bar 127 G minor and in bar 143 A minor), suggests that in the discussed bar it was supposed to be E minor, hence g3. On the other hand, the harmonic context – the chords in the previous bar – is not identical in these four places, which undermines the hypothesis of strict analogy. In this situation, in the main text we leave the literal interpretation of the A version (→GE→EE,IE); at the same time, we consider the version assuming that Chopin overlooked the  (which is quite likely here) to be an equal variant. A similar situation is to be found in the 4th mov. of the Sonata – at the beginning of bar 154 there is a B major chord, whereas the key of B minor appears only in bar 155, in spite of the fact that in all similar places both bars open with identical minor chords. In that situation the harmonic sequence leading to the analysed chord is also clearly different than in the remaining similar situations.

One can doubt whether the A version (→GE→FE1,EE,IE) featuring g3 corresponds to Chopin's intention. The comparison with three analogous places, in which Chopin immediately introduces the key of the starting four-bar section (in bar 123 D minor, in bar 127 G minor and in bar 143 A minor), suggests that in the discussed bar it was supposed to be E minor, hence g3. This was probably the reason why the reviser of #FE2 added here a  lowering g3 to g3. On the other hand, the harmonic context – the chords in the previous bar – is not identical in these four places, which undermines the hypothesis of strict analogy. In this situation, in the main text we leave the literal interpretation of the A version (→GE→FE1→EE,IE); at the same time, we consider the #FE2 version, assuming that Chopin overlooked the  (which is quite likely here), to be an equal variant. A similar situation is to be found in the 4th mov. of the Sonata – at the beginning of bar 154 there is a B major chord, whereas the key of B minor appears only in bar 155, in spite of the fact that in all similar places both bars open with identical minor chords. In that situation the harmonic sequence leading to the analysed chord is also clearly different than in the remaining similar situations.

category imprint: Differences between sources

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

b. 143

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

d3-g3 in A (→GE→FE,EE,IE)

d2-g2 suggested by the editors
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According to us, the source version of the 1st R.H. quaver is Chopin's mistake. In A the discussed bar opens a new page, which most probably made it difficult for Chopin to assess the relationship between the preceding quavers and the problematic tritone. Due to the above, in the main text we provide a version modelled after the pianistically more natural version of analogous bars 126-127, in which the tritone opening the new four-bar section is within the range determined by the preceding octave.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Errors of A

b. 143

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

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We add a cautionary  before g2 in the main text.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

b. 143-146

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

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In the main text we omit the unnecessarily repeated flats to d4 in the 2nd half of bar 143 and 145 and to f3 on the 3rd quaver in bar 144 and 146.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Cautionary accidentals