EE1
Main text
A - Autograph
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Corrected impression of FE1
FEJ - Jędrzejewicz Copy
FED - Dubois Copy
FES - Stirling Copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE2 - Second German edition
GE3 - Third German edition
GE4 - Revised impression of GE3
EE - English edition
EE1 - First English edition
EE2 - Revised impression of EE1
compare
  b. 168

Shorter  in A

Longer sign in FE (→GE,EE)

The extension of the  hairpins in FE (→GE,EE) may be explained with an accidental inaccuracy of the engraver or Chopin's proofreading. In the case of the latter, there arises a question whether the composer wanted to plan differently the dynamic details on the top of crescendo only in this place, at the last occurrence of this phrase and most probably due to the upcoming dramatic ending of the Polonaise, or whether he paid attention to the general inaccuracy of this sign only here and such planned crescendo should be applied in all analogous bars, hence also in bars 16, 64 and 120. This, in turn, make us think whether such a range difference can have a real impact on the interpretation. According to us, both versions have a musical sense:

  • the  hairpins written in A are compatible with the slurring and they indicate the moment of return of the one-bar melodic figure, being a starting point and core of this theme;
  • a longer sign appearing in the editions leads to the top note of this phrase, g3. Its meaning in the structure of the dramatic tensions exceeds the discussed phrase – it determines the culminant points of all sections of the main section of the Polonaise (bars 11, 16-18, 33-35 and their repetitions).

One has to also take into account the practical aspect – with such a small range difference, a shorter sign is more universal, as it does not determine that what is going to happen after the end of the marked crescendo. It can, therefore, indicate a performance in which crescendo will be in fact extended due to the phrasing of the next motif.

Therefore, in the main text we adopt the sign written in A, undoubtedly authentic and not excluding the interpretation indicated with a longer sign of an uncertain authenticity given by the editions.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE, Authentic corrections of FE

notation: Articulation, Accents, Hairpins

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Original in: Ewa & Jeremiusz Glensk Collection, Poznań