mUltimate Chopin

Op. 10 No 5, Etude in G♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : EE revisions

b. 4-12

composition: Op. 10 No 5, Etude in G♭ major

Long accents in A

Long accent in FE (→EE2)

Short accent & dots in GE

Two accents in EE3 (→EE4)
..

We consider the marks written in A under the chords in bars 4 and 12 as long accents. Only first of them was reproduced in FE (→EE2). In GE the sign in bar 4 became a common short accent and in bar 12 both chords were provided with staccato dots. In EE3 (→EE4) a short accent was added in bar 12. According to us, only the version of A is authentic.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , EE revisions , Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , GE revisions

b. 5-13

composition: Op. 10 No 5, Etude in G♭ major

No pedalling in A

Pedalling in FE

GE

EE
..

Chopin added the pedalling in bars 5 and 13 in a proofreading of FE. At the same time, the  mark in bar 13 was omitted, which is certainly a mistake (of Chopin or the engraver). The missed sign was added in GE, after bar 5, and in EE, in which, however, the  mark was placed in the middle of the bar. In the main text we add the sign after the most probably authentic pedalling in bar 5.

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

b. 5-6

composition: Op. 10 No 5, Etude in G♭ major

Wedge in A

3 dots in FE (→GE1→GE1a→GE2→GE3)

No marks in EE2

5 dots in EE3 (→EE4)

6 dots in GE4 (→GE5)
..

The only staccato sign in A is the wedge at the beginning of bar 6. The dots in bars 6 were added by Chopin in a proofreading of FE (→GE1→GE1a→GE2→GE3). Lacking dots in bar 5 are undoubtedly the result of Chopin's inadvertence. Versions in EE testify to an oversight and a later revision. Similar, but more careful revision in GE4 (→GE5) in our opinion represents accurately Chopin's intention.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in EE , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 7

composition: Op. 10 No 5, Etude in G♭ major

Long accent in A (→FE)

Short accent in GE

No mark in EE2

Accent & dots in EE3 (→EE4)
..

EE2 does not have the accent added in EE3 (→EE4) together with staccato dots under the quavers (probably by analogy with bar 15). In GE a short accent was applied and moved over the crotchet. In the main text we preserve the notation of A (→FE).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , EE revisions , Placement of markings , Errors in EE , GE revisions

b. 12

composition: Op. 10 No 5, Etude in G♭ major

e3, more likely reading of A (→FE→GE1,EE2→EE3)

d3 in GE2 (→GE3→GE4→GE5) i EE4
..

In A the head of the note embraces the area of two notes, d3 and e3, which stems from the simplified probably hasty correction. In spite of this, in FE (→GE1,EE2→EE3) it was correctly interpreted as e3. However, the reviser of GE2 (→GE3→GE4→GE5) changed it to d3, which was accepted as legitimate also in EE4. 

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: EE revisions , Corrections in A , GE revisions