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WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

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b. 1

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

No dedication in JC & EF

Dedication in PE

Our suggestion
..

Neither the person nor the surname of the dedication's addressee in PE are known to Chopinologists. It cannot be excluded that the dedication is an addition of the publisher – we know a couple of examples of arbitrarily added dedications by publishers even in the pieces issued during Chopin's life (by Wessel in London). 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Dedications

b. 1

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

..

In JC, the note f at the beginning of the piece (the upbeat) is notated as a grace note, which is certainly a mistake. It is revealed by both the quaver rest in the R.H., under the grace note which does not make sense, and the compatible version of the remaining sources which have a quaver in that place. The mistake of Ludwika is also revealed by the notation of the Polonaise's incipit in the inventory "Unpublished compositions" she made.  

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors of JC

b. 1

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

No indications in JC & PE

in EF
..

The tempo indications in EF, both verbal and metronome ones, are most probably Fontana's additions. It does not mean that they are not corresponding to Chopin's intentions.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Metronome tempos

b. 1

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

No marking in JC

 in EF

 in PE

Our suggestion
..

The dynamic marking in PE looks like . However, it seems very likely that in [A] there was  in this place, which is indicated by:
— the shape of the sign, differing from other  featured in PE; its lower part matches the shape of ;
— different performance markings of the introduction, particularly the accents in bars 1-3 and marcato in bar 4;
— the introduction's character, texture, register, and key;
— the sign's position on the stem of the 1st chord in the R.H., which could have impeded its correct reading.
In EF a dynamic marking –  – appears only before the 2nd beat of the bar.
 

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

b. 1-3

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

No markings in JC & EF

  in PE
..

We give the dynamic hairpins after PE, which in case of those bars seems to be the most developed source by Chopin – cf. remarks concerning bars 1-2 (slurs), bars 1-3 (the part of the L.H.), bar 3 (the part of the R.H.), and bar 4 (performance markings).

category imprint: Differences between sources