mUltimate Chopin

Op. 24 No. 1, Mazurka in G minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Long accents

b. 33-44

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

8 long accents in A

Without an accent in bar 42 in GE1
 

7 accents (2 types) in FE

7 short accents in EE
..

In the main text, we give the unequivocal notation of A – 8 long accents in bars 33-36 and 41-44. In GE1 (→FE→EE) the accent in bar 42 was omitted, which was corrected in GE2 (→GE3). In the two last-mentioned editions and also in FE some accents were reproduced as short ones, and EE has short accents only. All those changes result from difficulties in interpreting accent signs of varying length.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , GE revisions , EE inaccuracies

b. 50

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

A long accent in A

A short accent in GE (→FE→EE)
..

The long accent in A is   – unlike in analogous bars – quite clear here. Making it resemble the accents appearing in similar phrases is not appropriate in this case because of differences in texture and the resulting sound shape of the return of the Mazurka's main theme. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Inaccuracies in GE

b. 51

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

A long accent in A

A short accent in GE (→FE→EE)
..

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Inaccuracies in GE

b. 56

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

A possible short accent in A (→GE→FE→EE)

A possible long accent in A 
..

There is no certainty regarding the type of accent used by Chopin in A. The editions have a short accent. here. 

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness

issues: Long accents

b. 59

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

A probable long accent in A

A possible short accent in A (→GE→FE→EE)

Accent in FED  (possible reading)

Accent in FES (possible reading)

The editors' proposition
..

It is not certain what type of accent Chopin had in mind when writing A. Comparison with analogous bars 11 and 51 speaks in favour of a long accent. GE (→FE→EE) all have the short accent. Doubts also appear when we examine the versions of FED and FES, where we cannot be sure whether the accent is still valid for the fragmented melody and if so, whether it should be linked with the note f2 or with the 3rd beat.

 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents