Op. 45, Prelude in C♯ minor

The Prelude formed part of the album entitled "Beethoven", containing works by nine composers. It was preceded by Liszt's transcription of the funeral march from Eroica. The profit from the album sales was intended for the construction of Beethoven's monument in Bonn.

GE1 is probably based on the later one of the two lost autographs [A2], which we prove in the commentary to the filiation of sources. It is also the only source in which the Cadenza in bar 79 is written out in small notes.

Certain elements of the text of GE1 were definitely introduced in this edition, although it is difficult to determine the scope of the revision and decide which of the changes found in GE1 came from Chopin (if any). The fact that GE1 has less missing or faulty accidentals than FE1 points to editorial revision.

GE1 is not free from errors (e.g. a missing note in the chord in bars 49 and 54). In other situations, the absence of certain details of notation may be ascribed either to the engraver's omission or to Chopin's inaccuracy (lack of arpeggio in bar 51 or  before the grace note in bar 65).

The presented copy comes from the separately published (in April 1843) reprint of the original album publication. Changes only occurred on the title page, the bottom part of which was filled with information concerning the publisher (which was not needed there in the album publication). In the 1860s GE1 was printed twice, with slight changes on the title page; there also exist copies in which that page is differently arranged, for instance the original frame is replaced with more delicate ornamentation.