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Op. 26 No 1, Polonaise in C♯ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in FE

b. 1-12

composition: Op. 26 No 1, Polonaise in C♯ minor

..

Bars 1-12, marked in A by Chopin with a conventional repetition sign, were rewritten in the editions. According to us, it is an arbitrary decision of the French editor, probably resulting from graphic issues – from the layout of the text on the pages. Consequently, analogous places display minor differences, which – due to the repetition in A – were certainly not intended by Chopin. The discrepancies mainly result from oversights and inaccuracy of the engravers and, to a certain extent, from Chopin's superficial review. Due to the fact that in the main text we preserve the notation of A, in the remaining sources, we adopt two manners of displaying the differing elements in the repeated bars 1-12:

  • we put the elements which appear only the first time in parentheses;
  • we put the elements which appear only the second time in square brackets.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions; Source & stylistic information

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , EE inaccuracies

b. 6

composition: Op. 26 No 1, Polonaise in C♯ minor

 in A (→FE→GE1, first time)

 in FE (→GE1), first time & in GE2 (→GE3→GE4→GE5)

 in EE
..

The sources differ in the range of  hairpins. Taking into account various possibilities of interpretation of the not too carefully written signs in A (also in analogous bar 31) and a possibility of Chopin proofreading of FE (at the reappearance of this bar in the written repetition of bars 1-12), all three variants of the range of this sign can be considered to be potentially corresponding to Chopin's intention. In the main text we give the most possible interpretation of the hairpins of A.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , Scope of dynamic hairpins , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 11

composition: Op. 26 No 1, Polonaise in C♯ minor

 in A

contextual interpretation of  in FE (→GE1);
 in EE & GE2 (→GE3→GE4→GE5)

 in FE (→GE1) on 2nd instance
..

In the main text we give the  hairpins on the basis of A. In FE1 (→GE1) they were reproduced differently the first and second time. According to us, the slightly longer sign printed the 1st time better conveys the idea of the hairpins of A and this is the version we adopt as the context interpretation of the text of these sources. It was interpreted in the same manner in EE and subsequent GE.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in FE , GE revisions

b. 20

composition: Op. 26 No 1, Polonaise in C♯ minor

A long accent in A

A short accent in FE (→GE,EE)
..

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Inaccuracies in FE

b. 20

composition: Op. 26 No 1, Polonaise in C♯ minor

Staccato dot in A

No dot in FE (→GE→EE)
..

FE (→GE,EE) overlooked the staccato dot for the D1-D octave in the L.H. The engraver's oversight was certainly caused by the unclear notation of A, in which Chopin introduced some of the dots in a very delicate manner and at the same time not directly under the note (moved to the left or to the right) and additionally merging with the pedalling signs. 

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , EE inaccuracies , Inaccuracies in A