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

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Verbal indications

b. 1

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

Full dedication in A

No dedication in GE (→FE,EE,IE)

Dedication suggested by the editors
..

In the main text we provide only the beginning of the extensive authentic dedication:

"à Mr Joseph Elsner
professeur à l'Université Royale de Varsovie
membre de la société philomatique de Varsovie
Chevalier de l'ordre de St Stanislas etc etc."

We omit the additional information about the addressee's position, function and honorary title, which is compliant with Chopin's practices used in other pieces, in which he mentioned only the addressee's title and surname, sometimes preceded by the name. It is unclear why the editions omitted the dedication – perhaps it was assumed that after Chopin's death and after 20 years from the date of creation of the Sonata the dedication was no longer relevant.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Dedications

b. 4

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

in GE (→FE,EE,IE)

 suggested by the editors
..

The comparison with analogous bar 8, 182 and 186 indicates that we are most probably dealing with Chopin's mistake, who forgot to write the letter z in the 3rd  mark. Due to the above, we suggest adding it to the main text.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccuracies in A

b. 4

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

No marking in A (→GE→FE,EE1,IE)

in EE2
..

The fact that the EE2 reviser added an indication cancelling the formally applicable  is justified, since  is most probably a mistake here – see the previous note. According to us, one should probably refer here to the dynamics at the beginning of the Sonata's first phrase, that is . The indication added by EE2 is a compromise solution and does not represent typical Chopinesque dynamic markings – the composer would generally mark the dynamics between  and  as m.v. (mezza voce).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions

b. 90

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

in A

 in GE (→FE,EE,IE)
..

It is uncertain whether  present in the editions instead of  entered into A resulted from a revision or from a mistake. The possible change could have been motivated by the desire to indicate which dynamics to use in the development, which starts here.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions , fz – f

b. 155

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

  in A, possible interpretation

 in GE (→FE,EE,IE)
..

When interpreted literally, the A dynamic markings seem contradictory –  is already under the 2nd crotchet in the bar, hence there is no point of reference for . In the content transcription of A (version "edited text") we relate  to the L.H. minim, which can be considered a suggestion for independent dynamics in the parts of both hands in the following bars.
However, we believe that the most convincing, both in terms of sources and music, explanation of the A notation is the following:  is the initial version, left by inattention after having introduced later markings, that is  and . We provide the resulting version, compliant with the GE text (→FE,EE,IE), in the main text.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Errors resulting from corrections , GE revisions