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WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

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b. 74-75

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

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In JC, the accidentals before the 2nd quavers in the L.H., both the  in bar 74 and the  in bar 75 are placed on the level of b, which is a patent error.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Source & stylistic information

issues: Inaccuracies in JC

b. 74

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

d4 in JC, interpretation

Tied d4 in EF

d3 in PE
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The pitch and possible hold of the 2nd quaver of the bar raise doubts in the sources. Both in JC and in PE, when read literally, the note is a non-sustained d3 quaver, whereas in EF – a d4 quaver held with a tie. In the case of JC, a total lack of the octave sign (embracing 7 quavers) is almost certainly a mistake. The situation is less obvious in PE, where the octave sign was not omitted, yet it starts only from demisemiquavers, while the tie is also absent in bar 70. This version, considered independently of the piece, would not raise any doubts, however, in the context of similar phrases in bars 62-63 and 70-71, it seems to be erroneous.

In the main text we give probably the only authentic version, written faultlessly in EF.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Errors of JC , Errors in PE

b. 74-75

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

No slur in JC

Slur in EF

Slur in PE
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Both the starting point and the ending of the slur in PE give rise to doubts. In the case of the beginning, we leave the literal reading as the only possible option, as the doubts concerning the pitch and a possible hold of the 2nd quaver of the bar would question the reliability of all attempts of interpretation. Moreover, an alternative solution is written in EF. We interpret the ending of the slur of PE by analogy with bar 71.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

b. 74

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

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In JC, there are no cautionary flats before the first quaver in the R.H.

category imprint: Source & stylistic information

issues: Cautionary accidentals

b. 74

composition: WN 17, Polonaise in B♭ major

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PE lacks the  lowering a3 into a3 in the 2nd group of demisemiquavers. The engraver's error (or maybe an error of Chopin himself) is indicated by a  in all remaining sources and the use of a notes in adjacent bars.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in PE