mUltimate Chopin

Op. 24 No. 1, Mazurka in G minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccurate slurs in A

b. 21

composition: Op. 24 No. 1, Mazurka in G minor

A more probable interpretation of the slur in A and the slur of FE (→EE)

A less probable interpretation of the slur in  A (→GE)
..

As the slur in A is drawn with a bold stroke of the pen, in GE it begins on the 1st note of the bar. A comparison with analogous bars 17, 25 and 29, and the analysis of slurring of the entire fragment (bars 17-32) in A makes us conclude that Chopin meant a slur beginning on the 2nd crotchet of the bar. Such a slur can be seen in FE (→EE), which may be due to Chopin's correction.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 23-24

composition: Op. 24 No. 1, Mazurka in G minor

..

When read literally, the slurs in the parts of both hands reach in A the beginning of bar 24. This could not have been Chopin's intention though; the composer drew a number of slurs in A with a visible impetus, not taking into account the possibility of their being misread.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A

b. 25-26

composition: Op. 24 No. 1, Mazurka in G minor

The slur in A – approximate literal reading

The slur in GE1 (→FE→EE)

The slur of  GE2 (→GE3)
..

The exact starting point of the slur in A is unclear. In GE (→FE→EE) it was drawn from the 1st crotchet. The comparison with analogous bars 17, 21 and 29 and the general analysis of the manner of writing slurs in A leads to the conclusion that Chopin almost certainly wanted to embrace only the chords with the slur. The point where the slur ended on the 2nd crotchet of bar 26 seems less controversial, yet even that detail was reproduced inaccurately in GE1 (→FE→EE).

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , GE revisions

b. 38-41

composition: Op. 24 No. 1, Mazurka in G minor

The slurs of A (inter­pre­ted) and FES

The slurs of A (contextual interpretation)

The slurs of GE

Slurs in FE (probable reading)

Slurs in FE (possible reading→EE)
..

The slurs that appear at the transition between bars 38-39 and 40-41 are drawn in a manner that makes them ambiguous. In the main text we give the interpretation of the slurs of A, confirmed by the addition made in FES. The slurs of GE offer another possible interpretation of A. We interpret the unclear slurs of FE in the manner that is closer to the notation of A; a different option was chosen in EE (based on FE).

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , Inaccurate slurs in A

b. 46-47

composition: Op. 24 No. 1, Mazurka in G minor

A less probable interpretation of the slur in A (→GE→FE→EE)

A more probable interpretation of the slur in A
..

In A,  bar 46 is the last bar in the line, and the slur clearly reaches the margin. However, it is not continued in bar 47, which theoretically gives us three interpretation possibilities: overlapping slurs, separated slurs, or one combined slur. A comparison with similar bars 38-39, in which Chopin put two slurs, eliminates the third option and points to the first one as the most probable. GE (→FE→EE) had separated slurs.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A