mUltimate Chopin

Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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Issues : FE revisions

b. 55

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

Literal reading of A (→GC,FE1) – notes e

Notes e in FE2 (→FE3), EE & GE, contextual interpretation of A (→GC,FE1)
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In A (→GC,FE1) there are no accidentals in this bar. The e notes, present in two previous bars and in a few subsequent ones, including in analogous bar 57, indicate here Chopin's omission of the flats lowering e to e, which is one of the most frequent errors he was known to commit. The conclusion is confirmed by the addition of a  lowering e3 to e3 in FE2 (→FE3). Two remaining necessary flats in this bar were added in FE3, yet one of them was misplaced before the upper note of the third, so it lowers g2 to g2 (the error is corrected by a pencilled entry in FED, cf. also bar 57). In GE and EE all three necessary flats were added.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , EE revisions , Errors in FE , Annotations in FED , Errors resulting from corrections , Terzverschreibung error , GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals , FE revisions

b. 57

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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In A (→GC,→FE1→FE2) there are no flats lowering e2 to e2 and e1 to e1, which is a patent inaccuracy of notation.
The necessary signs were completed in GE and EE, as well as in FE3, in which, however, the first of the added signs erroneously lowers g2 to g2.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Accidentals in different octaves , Corrections in A , Terzverschreibung error , GE revisions , FE revisions

b. 58

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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A (→GC,FE1→FE2) lacks essential accidentals before e2 and  f2 in the R.H., and before e1 in the L.H. In the remaining editions the appropriate complements were made, although only EE has all the necessary signs. In GE only the R.H. accidentals were added, and in FE3 only the flats, and yet, the R.H.  was mistakenly added next to the last semiquaver.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals , FE revisions

b. 64

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

 in A (→GC)

in FE, EE & GE
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In all editions, small discrepancies notwithstanding, the  hairpin is distinctly shorter than in manuscripts. It attests, in our opinion, to the routine approach of engravers, who tried to adjust the range of the sign to elements of the notation related to the rhythmical structure, like notes or bars.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Scope of dynamic hairpins , GE revisions , FE revisions

b. 68-69

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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In A (→GC,FE1→FE2) there are no accidentals before the last chord in bar 68 and in the entire bar 69. Moreover, in both previous FE there are no flats before two topmost notes of the chord at the beginning of bar 68 (d2 and e2). In FE3 the missing signs were completed, apart from the  lowering d2 to d2 in bar 68. GE and EE have the correct notation, yet only in EE there are all flats before the second chord in bar 69 (the rules of the signs validity with the use of an octave sign were not established).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals , FE revisions