mUltimate Chopin

Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : EE revisions

b. 409-432

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

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Writing out crescendo in syllables in EE is a revising characteristic of the Wessel editions.

category imprint: Source & stylistic information

issues: EE revisions

b. 431

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

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In EE there is cautionary  before a1. This may have been an editorial revision.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions

b. 433

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

Octave D-d in EE & GE2

D-d in GC (→GE1) & FE
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None of the sources seems to be authentic enough. No accidentals before the third octave in GC (→GE1) and FE suggests its reading as D-d, however, it can be argued that in Chopin's works we often see omission of accidentals in similar situations. On the other hand in EE the naturals must have been added by a revisor (it is more than certain in GE2). In contrast to b. 95, the stylistic criteria suggest erranoeous omission of naturals: bars 433-434 belong to the first part of chromatic progression, which solely aims to retain the the interval structure of motifs. Therefore, the D-d octave version we present as the main one.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals

b. 440

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

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Cautionary sharps before d1 and d2 in EE must be arbitrary additions as they cannot be found in any other sources. Compare b. 445.

category imprint: Source & stylistic information

issues: EE revisions , Cautionary accidentals

b. 470-472

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

 d3 in EE & GC (→GE)

No accidentals in FE
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In FE no naturals lowering d3 to d3 in b. 470 or d2 to d2 in b. 472 must be seen as errors, which is further confirmed by their lack in GC, despite the fact that Chopin personally filled them in. Naturals in EE may have been added based on the previous three corresponding occurrences of this phrase (bars 176, 220 and 308). Sharps in bars 445, 447, 466 also show that  Chopin was not sure over a longer phrase if  (d) belonged to the key signature.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals , Last key signature sign , Authentic corrections in GC