mUltimate Chopin

Op. 10 No 11, Etude in E♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in FE

b. 15-16

composition: Op. 10 No 11, Etude in E♭ major

End of slur in A (interpretation), FE (→GE1)

EE & GE2 (→GE3→GE4)
..

Neither A nor FE allow to determine whether Chopin wanted to lead the slur to the 1st quaver in bar 16 or not. The slur in bar 15 suggests a continuation both in A and FE (→GE1), yet in bar 16 – which in A is the first one written out after the shortcut including bars 10-15 and in the editions the first one in a new line – there is no slur in any of the sources. The first quavers in the bars in the 1st section of the Etude provided with a staccato mark are generally not connected to the pervious slurs, however, in subsequent sections longer slurs prevail. Therefore, in the main text we suggest a slur running to the beginning of bar 16, taking into account the fact that the slur in bar 15 in FE, clearly exceeding the last quaver, could have been written in this form by Chopin.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in FE , Inaccurate slurs in A , GE revisions

b. 16-23

composition: Op. 10 No 11, Etude in E♭ major

Wedges in A

Dots in FE (→GE,EE)
..

The chords at the beginning of bars 16, 17, 19 and 21-23 in A are provided with clear wedges (the mark in bar 17 discussed separately would not be obvious, yet in the context of the remaining ones it does not raise any doubts). In spite of this, in the editions all these marks were reproduced as dots. According to us, it is an inaccuracy of the engraver who was not familiar enough with the details of Chopin's notation.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Wedges

b. 17-25

composition: Op. 10 No 11, Etude in E♭ major

 &  in A

 in FE (→GE,EE) 
..

At the beginning of bars 17, 19, 23 and 25 A includes  indications, while in bar 21 – . In the editions all  marks were omitted and instead of  there is . Due to the fact that all other dynamic indications in these bars were more or less accurately reproduced, it seems highly unlikely that the changes had not been accepted and partially introduced by Chopin. Therefore, in the main text we leave the version of FE (→GE,EE) without any additions. The version of A may be considered as an alternative one.
In bar 21 the erasure visible in A allows to conclude that originally Chopin most probably wrote there .

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Corrections in A , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 18-24

composition: Op. 10 No 11, Etude in E♭ major

three times in A

three times in FE (→EE)

two times in GE
..

The missing dashes limiting the range of cresc. in bars 18-20 and 23-24 is a very common defect of the first editions of Chopin's works. Moreover, in GE there is no cresc. in bar 18, which also must be considered as a mistake.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Errors in GE

b. 18-19

composition: Op. 10 No 11, Etude in E♭ major

..

In FE (→EE3) there is no ending of the slur in bar 19 (in the new line). It is a common mistake of the first editions of Chopin's works, particularly French, as well as of the autographs.

category imprint: Interpretations within context

issues: Inaccuracies in FE