mUltimate Chopin

Op. 38, Ballade in F major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Authentic corrections in GC

b. 126

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

b in A (→FE,EE)

b in GC (→GE)
..

Determining the sound of the third intended by Chopin in the bottom voice of the R.H. is a difficult task. A (→FE,EE) has a b-d1 third with a cautionary  before b. In the same place GC (→GE) has a , written by Chopin's hand, which gives b-d1. According to us, this entry could have been a result of the composer's mistake, who was reviewing GC in a great hurry (cf. bars 202-204) and could have mistaken this bar for bar 124. The factors contributing to such a mistake are the fact of beginning a new page in GC from bar 126 and omitting the cautionary  before b. Due to these facts, in the main text we give the undoubted version of A.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Authentic corrections in GC

b. 127

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

Crotchet g1 in A (→FE,EE)

Quaver g1 in GC (→GE)
..

As in analogous bar 102, the rhythm in the upper voice of the R.H. has two versions in the sources. In the main text we present the version of GC (→GE). This time the correction is inaccurate – Chopin added a quaver flag to the g1 note but   forgot the rest, as a result of which the bar in the upper voice has only 5 quavers. The obvious mistake was corrected in GE.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Errors resulting from corrections , GE revisions , Authentic corrections in GC

b. 129

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

..

In the main text, we include a cautionery  before d1 in the L.H., written by Chopin into GC (→GE).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Cautionary accidentals , Authentic corrections in GC

b. 148

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

e1 in A (→FE,EE)

f1 in GC (→GE)
..

In GC the topmost note in the 1st semiquaver in the R.H. was rewritten – most probably Chopin changed e1, copied from A, to f1 (Chopin added few accindentals, too). However, we have doubts whether this correction may be considered as final. A number of arguments points to Chopin's haste at the time of controlling GC – cf. bars 126 and 202-204 – hence it cannot be excluded that in the discussed place the change was also not thoroughly considered. The accents over f1 four semiquavers before and later seem to be better adjusted to the version with e1. In this situation in the main text we give exactly this version, written by Chopin in A and accepted at the time of proofreading FE. 

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Authentic corrections in GC

b. 148

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

..

In A the only accidentals in this bar are two sharps: before G at the beginning of the bar, and g in the R.H. The  before the bottom note of the octave was added in all remaining sources. Besides this  Chopin wrote into GC three more naturals, before the 1st semiquaver (b), and before the last octave (B1-B). GE supplemented the record of GC with a  before b at the start of the 2nd half of the bar (this note is written in the sources on the lower staff). That  was also added in FE2 (→FE3) and EE. The latter further added only both accidentals at the beginning of bar leaving the last octave without naturals.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , FE revisions , Authentic corrections in GC , Errors repeated in EE