mUltimate Chopin

Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Errors in EE

b. 38-40

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

Dots & wedges in A

Three dots in FE

Six dots in GE

Two dots in EE3 (→EE4)

Our suggestion
..

The sources show numerous differences, as far as the indications of articulation of the first semiquavers in these bars are concerned, while the signs in particular sources are so inconsistent that it is hard to determine Chopin's intention in this issue. As it does not seem that Chopin intervened in the text of the editions in this respect, we consider A as the only authoritative source. In the main text we give the notation of A in the completed version, as Chopin additions of articulation in the L.H. in bar 37 and the dot at the beginning of bar 39 indicate the will to explicitly indicate the staccato articulation of the semiquavers in the L.H. in this section. Therefore, it seems to be rational to add dots at the beginning of bars 38 and 40.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Errors in EE , GE revisions , Wedges

b. 42-45

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

No pedalling in AI & EE2

Pedalling in A & GE2 (→GE3→GE4→GE5)

FE (→GE1→GE1a)

EE3

EE4
..

In the main text we give the unambiguous pedalling of A. In FE (→GE1→GE1a) the indications were reproduced very inaccurately:  was omitted, while the  mark in bar 44 was misplaced (in EE2 there are no signs at all). The revisers of later GE and EE corrected and completed these indications at their own discretion and in the majority of the cases they achieved very similar results to Chopin notation.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Errors in EE

b. 43-46

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

Dots & slur in AI

18 wedges in A

2 wedges in FE (→GE1)

No marks in EE2

2 dots in EE3 (→EE4)

4 wedges in GE1a (→GE2→GE3→GE4)

2 wedges in GE5

Our variant suggestion
..

All wedges given in the main text are in A. In FE (→GE1) only two signs at the beginning of bar 44 were reproduced. In EE2 even those were omitted, which was corrected in EE3 (→EE4), by adding two staccato dots in this place (there was also an arbitrarily added slur for the L.H. in bars 43 and 45). In the subsequent GE, wedges in bar 46 were added, while in GE5 those in bar 44 were omitted. According to us, Chopin could have accepted the lack of wedges over the chords in bars 43 and 45 (not to mention a possibility of their deletion in proofreading, which also cannot be entirely excluded), therefore, in the main text we leave their inclusion at the discretion of the performer. In turn, in the main text we explicitly give the wedges at the beginning of bars 44 and 46, which, as it seems, are to be considered jointly (cf. the signs in bars 42, 48 and 50). The indications of AI, despite being written only in the first pair of bars, indicate essential performance elements of these chord passages. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Errors in EE , Errors in GE , GE revisions

b. 54-57

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

..

In AI, there are no performance indications referring to the part of the R.H. in these bars – , legatissimo, sempre  (as well as slurs or accents, discussed separately). In EE2 there is no ; the mistake was corrected in EE3 (→EE4).

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Errors in EE

b. 54-55

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

..

In EE2 there is no slur in these bars; the error was corrected in EE3 (→EE4). Cf. bars 56-57.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in EE