mUltimate Chopin

Op. 10 No 10, Etude in A♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Authentic corrections of FE

b. 35

composition: Op. 10 No 10, Etude in A♭ major

d2 & d3— contextual interpretation of A, and FE (→EE)

d2 & d3 in GE
..

Lack of accidentals before the 5th pair of quavers in A means that Chopin either forgot to put a  next to the upper note of the sixth (d3), or a  one quaver earlier (d2). In a proofreading of FE (→EE) a flat was added, which is most probably a result of Chopin's intervention. Due to this fact, we give this version in the main text. In GE the flat was not included (probably it was not yet present in the proof copy of FE on which GE was based), yet a  raising d2 to d3 was added. According to us, it is a revision, otherwise justified with the observation of Chopin's notation in this Etude, in which omissions of accidentals before the sixths' upper notes occur very frequently (e.g., in bars 5-8).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

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

b. 36

composition: Op. 10 No 10, Etude in A♭ major

d1 in A

f1 in FE (→GE,EE)
..

In the main text we give the unambiguous version of A, in which the entire 2nd half of the bar is marked as a repetition of the 1st one. The version is somewhat confirmed by an analogous figure in the melodically and harmonically similar bar 24. As far as the sound is concerned, the version of FE (→GE,EE) is perfect, so it could be a result of Chopin's proofreading, yet possible traces of performing this correction are questionable.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Terzverschreibung error , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 37-38

composition: Op. 10 No 10, Etude in A♭ major

..

The notation of accidentals in these bars is very careless in A, although it does not lead to textual doubts. In bar 37 Chopin omitted the flats before the 1st (g), 2nd (g1) and 9th (c1) notes in the L.H. and before the upper note (c4) of the sixth on the 2nd quaver in the R.H. Moreover, the  lowering g2 to g2 is written only before the last quaver in the R.H. In bar 38 there are no flats before the 4th (g) and 5th (g1) notes in the L.H. In FE only the first necessary flats in the parts of both hands in bar 37 and a cautionary  before c2 in bar 38 were added. In GE all necessary signs and a superfluous  before c3 on the 8th quaver in bar 37 were added. In turn, the cautionary  in bar 38 was not included, which probably means that it was added during the last stage of proofreading of FE. EE also has the correct notation, including the aforementioned natural. At the same time, EE3 gives only the necessary signs, while in EE4 two unnecessary flats featured in GE were also added.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals , Errors of A , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 39-42

composition: Op. 10 No 10, Etude in A♭ major

No pedalling in A

Pedalling in FE (→GE,EE)
..

The pedalling was added – probably by Chopin – in a proofreading of FE (→GE,EE).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Authentic corrections of FE

b. 39

composition: Op. 10 No 10, Etude in A♭ major

f1 in A

a1 in FE (→GE,EE)
..

The f1 quaver written in A was changed to a1 in a proofreading of FE (→GE,EE). According to us, there is no doubt that the proofreading was performed by Chopin, who also corrected a mistake on the last quaver in the R.H. and added the pedalling in the same bar.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Authentic corrections of FE