EE4
Main text
AI - Working autograph
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Corrected impression of FE1
FED - Dubois copy
FEJ - Jędrzejewicz copy
FES - Stirling copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE1a - Corrected impression of GE1
GE2 - Second German edition
GE3 - Third German edition
GE4 - Fourth German edition
GE5 - Fifth German edition
EE - English edition
EE2 - First English edition
EE3 - Corrected impression of EE2
EE4 - Revised impression of EE3
compare
  b. 1

 in AI

 in FE (→GE,EE)

 suggested by the editors

According to us, it is highly likely that in FE (→GE,EE) the engraver omitted the letter 'z' in the dynamic marking. It is supported by the following arguments:

  • Chopin wrote  in AI,
  •  is indicated just before, at the beginning of the piece,
  • in the Etudes many  marks were omitted in FE (e.g., in the Etude in G major, No. 5, bar 32, F minor, No. 9, bar 4) or replaced with  (e.g., in bar 16 and 26, as well as  in the Etude in A minor, No. 2, bar 12E minor, No. 6, bars 21 and 32, C minor, No. 12, bar 37), 
  • there is no reason to question the authenticity of , as immediately afterwards, the crescendo leading to  in bar 4 starts,
  • the  combination is very rare in Chopin's pieces, contrary to , which we can often see in the autographs, as, e.g., in the Etude in E major, No. 11, bars 17-25.

The presence of  in FE (→GE,EE) is the first signal of clarifying the notation of dynamic indications in the course of maturing of the Etude, and probably also of a certain change of the concept of first several bars of the piece. The dynamics indicated in the editions is more changeable ( in bar 1 and 8), at less absolute intensity (lack of  in bars 7 and 12), as a result of which it contributes to a better plasticity both locally and in the Etude as a whole.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE, fz – f

notation: Verbal indications

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Original in: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna