GE1
Main text
A - Autograph
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Corrected impression of FE1
FED - Dubois copy
FEJ - Jędrzejewicz copy
FES - Stirling copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE1a - Corrected impression of GE1
GE2 - Second German edition
GE3 - Third German edition
GE4 - Fourth German edition
GE5 - Fifth German edition
EE - English edition
EE2 - First English edition
EE3 - Corrected impression of EE2
EE4 - Revised impression of EE3
compare
  b. 2-14

No pedalling in A

Pedalling in FE (→GE1GE1a)

GE2 (→GE3GE4GE5) & EE

Our suggestion

Our alternative suggestion

Pedalling of bars 1-2 and analog., same as the majority of pedal marks in the entire Etude, was added by Chopin in a proofreading of FE (→GE,EE). However, the indications are not precise – in bars 10, 13 and 54 the  marks are not accompanied with  marks in FE (→GE1GE1a) (they were added in later GE,s and EE), while the indications in analogous bars differ in a way that may point to inaccuracy. It may have been a result of both the composer's and the engraver's haste. Taking into account this fact, in justified cases we suggest unified solutions in the main text.

In bars 1, 5 and analog. (6 places in total), the  mark in FE is only in bars 5 and 13, whereby only in bar 5 it is accompanied with a  mark. In GE and EE2 (→EE3 was added in bar 13 and in EE4 pedalling in bar 53 was also added. In the main text, we leave bars 1, 9 and 49 without pedal marks, whereas in bars 13 and 53 we suggest to complete the indications. The difference may have been related to, e.g., the dynamics: bars 5, 13 and 53 are directly preceded with a crescendo, bars 1, 9 and 49 are not.

In bars 2, 6 and analog. the indications appear in the sources in two variants (GE1a = GE):

bar FE, GE1 EE, GE2-5
 
2              
6              
10                 
14              
50              
54                 

According to us, the bars, same as bars 1, 5 and analog., should be considered in two independent groups. In bars 2 and 50 the  marks are duly in the middle of the bar, so we may assume that Chopin thought of such pedalling also in bar 10. In turn, in bars 6 and 14 the marks are not compatible, hence each of the versions may be considered as justified: 

  •  under the 3rd quaver in the bar corresponds to the majority of indications of the entire group of the bars; 
  •  under the 2nd quaver appears in the first out of three places (bars 5-6, 13-14 and 53-54), in which pedal marks are written also in the previous bar (missing marks in bar 53 seem to be an oversight). Bars 5-6 are at the same time the only ones in which the pedalling is marked without a noticeable error (missing marks in bars 13 and 53-54), which makes it more reliable.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: EE revisions, Inaccuracies in FE, GE revisions, Authentic corrections of FE, No pedal release mark

notation: Pedalling

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Original in: The University of Chicago Library, Chicago