mUltimate Chopin

Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

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Articulation, Accents, Hairpins
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Articulation, Accents, Hairpins

b. 74-75

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

..

EE and GC (→GE) have an accent over the tied c sharp2 in bar 74 (in GE the accent is placed under the octave c sharp1-c sharp2). In FE c sharp2 is not tied, and the accent can both be found in bar 74 and at the beginning of bar 75.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Placement of markings

b. 76-89

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

12 accents in EE

13 accents in GC

12 accents in GE

11 accents in FE

Our suggestion (13 accents)

Our alternative suggestion (11 accents)
..

The sources differ here both with respect to the type of accents above the minims of the highest voice (short in EE and GC or long in FE) and to their occurrence in particular bars:

  • EE has 12 accents in bars 76-87,
  • GC has 13 accents in bars 76-81 and 83-89,
  • GE has 12 accents in bars 76-81 and 84-89,
  • FE has 11 accents in bars 76-80, 83-87 and 89.

In the editors' opinion, the accent that FE has in bar 80 may have been placed there by mistake, and was meant to be placed in bar 81. Allowing for that possibility leads us to put forward the following proposal as an alternative to the main text: 11 accents in bars 76-79, 81, 83-87 and 89.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Errors in FE , Errors in EE , Errors in GE

b. 81

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

Long accent in EE

 in GC (→GE)

No mark in FE
..

For our main text we choose the long accent found in EE. The hairpin mark  present in GC (→GE) may also result from a faulty interpretation of a long accent mark by the copyist (cf. bar 89, in which the sources only have accent marks).

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents

b. 89

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

Short accent in EE & GC (→GE)

No mark in FE

Our suggestion—a long accent
..

We consider it very likely that the notation of the sources is not accurate here.  It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between the two types of accents most often used by Chopin even when one has the autograph at their disposal. We suggest a long accent, as in the similar bar 81. 

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents

b. 91-96

composition: Op. 39, Scherzo in C♯ minor

Accents in EE

GC

FE

GE
..

The sources have different types of accents used in those bars, and those accents are also placed differently. In our main text we have the version of GC that unifies those differences. It may also be considered as an interpretation of the notation of FE and EE. The version of EE is probably inaccurate.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , EE inaccuracies