mUltimate Chopin

Op. 38, Ballade in F major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Authentic corrections of FE

b. 116-117

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

2 ties in A & FE3

3 ties in GC (→GE)

No ties in FE1 (→FE2) & EE
..

The additional tie to d1 results either from a mistake, or from an unconsidered revision by the copyist in GC (→GE) – that note belongs to the first theme of the Ballade, and of course must be played. The lack of ties in FE1 (→FE2) and EE is probably due to the misunderstanding of A. In FE3 the ties were most probably added by a reviser on the basis of A, although we cannot exclude Chopin's participation in this kind of correction.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Errors in EE , Authentic corrections of FE , Errors of GC

b. 132

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

e1 in A (→FE1,EE,GC→GE)

e1 in FE2 (→FE3)
..

It is also in this bar that we give the unambiguous version of A (→EE,GC→GE) in the main text, in spite of the fact that while proofreading FE2 (→FE3), Chopin added a  lowering e1 to e1. This version must be considered as authentic, yet not necessarily final – the composer, not seeing the following text in this line, could have heard here a harmonic progression analogous to the one in bars 101 and 126, therefore, in the previous phase of the phrase's development.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Errors resulting from corrections , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 133

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

Octave in A (→FE1,EE,GC→GE)

Three-note chord in FE2 (→FE3)
..

A (→FE1,EE,GC→GE) has only the g1-g2 octave as a semiquaver. Chopin completed it with the c2 note in a proofreading of FE2.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Authentic corrections of FE

b. 135

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

f2-f3 in A, FE1 & GC (contextual interpretation) and FE2 (→FE3) & GE

f2-f3 in EE
..

In A, the third and fourth chords in the R.H. contain patent mistakes: there is no accidental before the third one, which results in a f2 simultaneously with f3, whereas before the fourth one Chopin wrote a  before the lowest note and a  lowering e3 to e3, which also results in a f2 simultaneously with f3. The sharp before the 4th chord, unnecessary in the current configuration, confirms the assumption resulting from a comparison with analogous bar 110 that Chopin meant f2-f3 in the third chord and f2-f3 in the fourth one. This version, without errors, is present in FE2 (→FE3), corrected by Chopin. In all sources based directly on A, the following inauthentic corrections were performed:

  • in GC, the copyist added a necessary  before the topmost note of the 4th chord (f3) while omitting the  before e3. In GE, the text was revised to the correct version of FE2;
  • in FE1, the  before the lowest note of the 4th chord was omitted, which, however, did not influence the correctness of the notation, which still contained two mistakes;
  • in EE, a  was added before the top note of the 3rd chord, which resulted in a harmonically reasonable version, yet certainly inauthentic in the face of the Chopinesque proofreading of FE2.  

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

issues: EE revisions , Omissions to cancel alteration , GE revisions , Errors of A , Authentic corrections of FE , Errors repeated in FE

b. 138-139

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

e2 in A (→GC,FE,EE)

e2 in FE2 (→FE3) & GE
..

In the editors' opinion, e2 in A (→GC,FE1,EE), although possible from harmonic point of vue, results probably from Chopin's inadvertence. In any case, the almost certainly authentic correction of FE2 (→FE3) urges to acknowledge e2 as the composer's last intention. Also added was the flat in GE, as were the cautionary naturals before e1-e2 in the next bar in GE2 (→GE3).

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: GE revisions , Errors of A , Authentic corrections of FE