mUltimate Chopin

Op. 38, Ballade in F major

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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

b. 197

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

Staccato dot in A (probable reading→GC)

Wedge in A, possible reading

No mark in EE, FE & GE.
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It is not completely clear whether the staccato mark in A is a dot or a wedge. In the main text we give a dot for despite its irregular shape the mark is similar in size to a dot. That is how it was also understood by the copyist. In EE, FE and GE, probably due to a mistake, the mark was omitted.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Errors in EE , Errors in GE , Wedges

b. 202-204

composition: Op. 38, Ballade in F major

1. Original version in A

2. Later version of A (→FE1,EE)

3. GC, contextual interpretation

GE

4. FE2 (→FE3)

Our variant suggestion
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The ending of the Ballade has a few versions proving Chopin's hesitations. We present them below in a chronological order:

  1. The original version in A.
  2. The later version in A (→EE), added by Chopin under the deleted version No. 1. This version was copied to GC, where Chopin would then modify it (with an erroneous c1 instead of d1 in bar 203).
  3. The version of GC changed by Chopin. This version was adopted by GE by correcting the bottom note in bar 203 and adding an erroneous slur combining the grace note and the g minim.
  4. The version of FE2, corrected by Chopin.

As it can be seen, Chopin had two main concepts of the Ballade's endings, "open" and "close." According to us, it is the version No. 1 that presents the first of them in the most thoughtful manner, while in the case of the latter it is the version No. 4. In the main text we give the version No. 1, enriched with variant, characteristic for Chopin grace note added in GC.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Chopin's hesitations , Errors resulting from corrections , Terzverschreibung error , Deletions in A , Authentic corrections of FE , Errors of GC , Authentic corrections in GC