The articulation of semiquavers in bars 24-26 raises a number of doubts, as the sources of unquestioned authenticity (A and FE) include inaccuracies which disable a unanimous interpretation of the notation and moreover, there are visible traces of changes introduced by Chopin, whose scope is also questionable.
Originally, both the 1st note in bar 24 and in bar 25 in A were added with a slur to the previous semiquavers and provided with a staccato wedge. In addition, the slur at the end of bar 25 suggests a continuation in bar 26 (written on a new great stave), therefore, it is compatible with the previous scheme. However, in bar 26 not only did Chopin not end this slur, but he also started a new one from the 1st note, which is also devoid of the staccato mark. He then introduced an analogous slurring at the beginning of bar 25, extending the slur, so it begins over the 1st note of the bar and cancels the wedge which had been written there. As a result, the articulation of the first notes in A is inconsistent – staccato in bar 24 and legato in bars 25-26.
In FE the beginning of bar 24 became similar to the next bars – a wedge was omitted, while the slur runs from the 1st note, which in the light of the performed in A change described above, cannot be considered as inaccuracy. However, it is not clear in the case of differences in the range of slurs in the following part of the discussed section. The second slur in bar 24 was omitted, which is certainly a mistake, whereby all remaining ones end on the last note of the 2nd or 4th triplets.
In GE and EE the beginning of the 1st slur in bar 24 was put over the 2nd semiquaver, which means a return to the version of A, yet it is not clear how the discrepancy with FE occurred, on whose copies these editions are based. Moreover, in GE3 (→GE4→GE5) the 1st slur in bar 25 was extended and led to g
3 – again in accordance with A. In the case of the last change, the coincidence is certainly accidental: the reviser was probably struck with the topmost note without any sign (the wedge was also overlooked in GE2).
We base the main text on the following assumptions;
- Chopin was gradually waiving staccato at the beginning of these bars, adding first semiquavers to the next ones with a slur;
- lack of proofs for analogous changes in relation to the topmost notes in the middle of each of these bars;
- it is not certain whether the composer wanted to shorten the slurs coming to the 1st note in these bars; in FE in two out of three places there are no overlapping slurs, yet there where Chopin's proofreading is undeniable (A at the beginning of bar 25) or probable (FE one bar before), the overlapping slurs were not shortened.
Taking into consideration the doubt included in the latter, we suggest an alternative solution with shortened slurs at the end of bars 23-25.
Compare the passage in the sources »
category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources
issues: Inaccuracies in FE, EE inaccuracies, Authentic corrections of FE
notation: Slurs