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

First German edition, based on A. Numerous revisions were made here, primarily with the addition of accidentals and also – fewer in number – markings of articulation and dynamics. Some alterations go beyond the typical scope of editorial revision (see below, and also e.g. mvt. IV, bars 7 & analog. or 103), but none of them can be authentic, since Chopin – as he clearly stated in a letter written in 1845* – did not correct the proofs sent to him a few years earlier, and the fact that the work was not published until after his death shows that he did not change his mind after writing that letter.

Chopin was frugal with accidentals in A, as described in the characterisation thereof, which forced the engraver (reviser) of GE1 to add numerous accidentals, as a result of which the vast majority of the defects concerning accidentals were corrected. In addition, a significant number of cautionary accidentals was added, mainly justified, e.g. in bar 11, 18-19, 22.

Substantial arbitrary changes introduced by GE1 include:

• assigning a changed opus number,
• adding allegedly overlooked accidentals, e.g.  to e in bar 79,  to f² in bar 124,  to c² in bar 152,
• adding a  in bar 37, 58, 140,
• adding slurs and staccato dots in bars 71-72, and dots also in bars 73-74,
• systematic changes to the type of quaver beams in bars 113-122 and 131-138,
• sustaining f¹ in bar 162 and f³ in bar 170.

In particular, many changes and additions concern slurs. The changes cannot be clearly assessed, as the A slurs are inaccurate in many cases, hence revision was certainly needed, to a certain extent, e.g. in bar 11 or 17-20, or recommended, e.g. in bar 61, 91-93 or 153-154. However, the other changes and additions in this respect seem unfounded or unnecessary, e.g. the addition of slurs in bar 38, 81 or 131-138.

Justified changes concerning other elements of notation were introduced as well, e.g.  in bar 155 was omitted (probably left by inattention).

In GE1 a number of mistakes was performed too, e.g.:

• due to a misinterpretation of A, wedges were added to bars 43-48,
• the beginning of the octave sign in bar 65 was moved by a quaver.

^* Letter sent by Chopin to Ludwika and Kalasanty Jędrzejewicz in Warsaw, Nohant, early August 1845 – ‘The Sonata [dedicated] to Elsner has been published by Haslinger in Vienna, or at least he himself sent me a printed proof a few years ago to Paris; but as I did not send it back with corrections, but only asked that he be told that I’d prefer that many things be altered, so perhaps they halted the print, which I would be very glad of…’.