mUltimate Chopin

Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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b. 170

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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In the 2nd half of the bar Chopin wrote the R.H. part with two separate voices. In the editors' opinion, the only reason for such a notation were the augmented primes on the 4th and 5th semiquaver. In Chopin's times the modern notation was not yet in use, and the employed method was prone to cause misunderstandings, e.g. in Ballade in G minor, op. 23, bar 170 or in Variations in B major op. 12, bar 110. Therefore, we give the original notation only in our transcripts.

category imprint: Editorial revisions; Source & stylistic information

b. 171

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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In FE1 the A-a octave was mistakenly written a major second too high. The error was corrected in FE2 (→FE3).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Authentic corrections of FE

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)
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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)
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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

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In the main text we add  restoring b1 in the 2nd half of bar. Chopin's patent error was only rectified in GE. See also bar 176.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Omission of current key accidentals