b. 128
In A the accidental to the bottom note of the sixth at the beginning of the bar could be both a and a :
- the right vertical line, clearly longer than the left one and ended with a characteristic hook, is often present in naturals but almost never in sharps;
- it is only the top horizontal line that goes beyond the two vertical ones, while in regular sharps it is always both that stick out.
According to us, it means that Chopin most probably changed the to a , hence e2 to e2. Therefore, in the main text we provide e2 as probably the later version. It is difficult to say why GE (→FE,EE,IE) include e2, yet, taking into account the described irregularities concerning the shape of this accidental, it could be a mere misinterpretation of A. Another possibility could be revision due to the key of C minor (present in the previous bar) and a similar pattern in bars 130-132, closed with an extended cadence in C minor. Therefore, this version, probably authentic yet earlier, can be considered an acceptable variant.
Compare the passage in the sources»
category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information
issues: Corrections in A, GE revisions, Inaccuracies in A
notation: Pitch