mUltimate Chopin

Op. 10 No 1, Etude in C major

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Verbal indications

b. 1

composition: Op. 10 No 1, Etude in C major

in CLI

in FE1

in FE2

in GE1

GE1a (→GE2→GE3→GE4→GE5)

in EE2 (→EE3)

in EE4
..

In the main text we give the title as adopted in FE and confirmed in the engraver's copy of several Etudes (No. 5-8 and 12). The title included in CLI, although earlier, is also authentic – Chopin himself described in this way one of his etudes in a letter to a friend – and reflects Chopin's pragmatic approach to the issue of the pieces' names (cf. the original title of Berceuse Op. 57, "Variants"). Therefore, it is hard to assume that the extended titles of GE and EE were something more than a marketing ploy of the publishers, which, after all, were gladly used also in case of other genres, e.g., in waltzes, in which the authentic titles were extended with different adjectives: 'grande' in Op. 18, 24, 42, 'brillante' in Op. 34, 'nouvelle' in Op. 42 (see also Etudes Op. 25).

We also give this dedication in the version of FE (→GE). Its extension in EE seems to be rather an idea of the publisher who, however, could have agreed it with Chopin. Apart from FE1 (→EE2→EE3), the erroneous initial of Liszt's name (J) also appears in some copies of FE2 and GE1.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Dedications , GE revisions , Various titles

b. 1

composition: Op. 10 No 1, Etude in C major

No indications in CLI

in FE (→GE,EE) 
..

In CLI there are no performance indications in the entire Etude. Both the indication of tempo and articulation was most probably added by Chopin in proofreadings of FE (→GE,EE) – cf. the beginning of the Etude in A minor, No. 2.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Metronome tempos

b. 1

composition: Op. 10 No 1, Etude in C major

No indication in CLI

 in FE (→GE1→GE2­→GE3­→GE4, →EE) 

Our suggestion (GE5)
..

The  indication in FE (→GE1→GE2→GE3→GE4, →EE) seems to concern only the semiquavers in the R.H. According to us, as it is hard to suppose that the long resounding octaves in the L.H. were to be played in different dynamics, it should be assumed as an inaccuracy of the notation. A respective change was also introduced in GE5. See also bar 45.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Centrally placed marks

b. 33-36

composition: Op. 10 No 1, Etude in C major

No indications in CLI

in FE (→EE) 

in GE
..

The dynamic indications in bars 33 and 36 constitute a part of frugal, yet undoubtedly authentic performance indications of FE (→GE,EE). 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions

b. 42-48

composition: Op. 10 No 1, Etude in C major

No indications in CLI

in FE

in GE

in EE2

in EE3 (→EE4)
..

We give Chopin's dynamic indications in bars 42 and 48 in the main text on the basis of FE. In the remaining editions they were recreated in a slightly changed form (except for EE2, in which cresc. in bar 42 was omitted).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions , EE inaccuracies