mUltimate Chopin

Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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Slurs

b. 169-170

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

Slurs from 2nd semiquaver in A (→FE,EE)

Slurs from 1st semiquaver in GC (→GE)
..

In A the R.H. slurs were clearly corrected – originally they started from the first semiquaver after the rest, only to have the beginnings deleted, so they ultimately start from the 2nd semiquaver. It is hard to say why such clear corrections were not taken into account in GC (→GE). Similar differences between the sources also occur in bars 173-174.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Inaccuracies in GC

b. 170

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

 
 
..

We add a slur in the L.H. in bar 170.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

b. 171

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

No slur in A (→FE1,EE)

Slur from 2nd semiquaver in GC (contextual interpretation)

Slur from 1st to last semiquaver in GC (possible interpretation→GE)

Slur from 1. semiquaver to next bar in FE2 (→FE3)
..

Based on the slurs added most probably by Chopin in GC and FE2 (→FE3), the absence of the slur in A is probably an oversight of the composer, perhaps related to the transition to a new page in A. However, the range of the slur is questionable:

  • The beginning of the slur is unclear in GC. The composer's corrections in A in bars 169-170 militate in favour of beginning the slur from the 1st semiquaver – Chopin would move beginnings of slurs from the 1st to the 2nd semiquaver in similar figures. According to us, the counterargument in the form of the slur of FE2 is of less importance, since the text in that edition is so dense that the engraver could have easily misinterpreted a Chopinesque proofreading entry.
  • The ending of the slur is also dubious – both in GC and FE, the discussed bar ends the page, and the slur, which suggests continuation, is either deprived of continuation in the next bar (FE) or starts from the 1st semiquaver (GC). We consider a continuous slur to be much more likely in such a homogeneous notation, and this is how we interpret both GC and FE2.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions; Corrections & alterations

issues: Authentic corrections of FE , Authentic corrections in GC

b. 172

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

No slur in A (→FE,EE)

Slur in GC (literal reading→GE)

Slur in GC (contextual interpretation)
..

In the main text we give the ending of slur from the previous bar, resulting from the notation of GC and FE2 (→FE3), corrected by Chopin.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Inaccuracies in GC

b. 172

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

No slur in A (→FE,EE)

Slur in GC (→GE)
..

The slur over three L.H. quavers in the 2nd half of the bar was probably added in GC (→GE) by Chopin.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Authentic corrections in GC