mUltimate Chopin

Op. 38, Ballade in F major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Corrections in A

b. 151

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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Visible in A are traces of a correction of the L.H. motif which originally sounded: .

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Main-line changes

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)
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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. 179-180

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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The R.H. part underwent substantial changes in A, mainly rhythmical. Interestingly, it is possible to decipher the deleted versions with high probability. Chopin started with the following:. Subsequently, this was slightly modified by removing the penultimate semiquaver in bar 179:. Analogous transformations were applied in bars 183-184.

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Deletions in A , Main-line changes

b. 185-186

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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The deletions visible in A at the beginning of the 2nd half of bar 185 demonstrate that Chopin changed the 7th R.H. semiquaver. The removed semiquaver was probably a g1-c2 fourth. Similarly, we can guess that the deleted 7th semiquaver in bar 186 sounded a1-d2.

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Deletions in A , Main-line changes

b. 197

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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In the main text we add cautionary naturals before a and b in the L.H., and a2 and b2 in the R.H. The cautionary naturals were also added in GE1 (before b2), and further ones in GE2 (→GE3) – before a, a1 and a2.
The  before a2 was written into A in the first, deleted attempt to notate the grace notes – Chopin started to write them with stems downwards but changed his mind after having written two of them. It is hard to determine wether the omission of the  in the ultimate record was deliberate or accidental. 

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

issues: Corrections in A , GE revisions , Cautionary accidentals , Deletions in A