mUltimate Chopin

Op. 26 No 2, Polonaise in E♭ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in FE

b. 69

composition: Op. 26 No 2, Polonaise in E♭ minor

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While proofreading FE1, Chopin changed and clarified the articulation indications in the entire meno mosso fragment. The main change concerned including the 2nd half of the penultimate bar under a slur ending each of the four-bar sections, at the same time deleting staccato dots under an extended slur (bars 71-72, 75-76, 79-80, 87-88, 91-92, 95-96). Moreover, Chopin corrected a few other places too, striving for a more consistent staccato articulation indication in analogous situations than in A – see bars 70-71.

Both FE2 and GE1 repeated the version of FE1 without changes, although GE1 is not free from inaccuracies. In turn, EE and later GE added articulation almost to the shape presented in the main text (not including additional revisions, as in the 2nd half of bar 95 in EE and minor errors).  

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , GE revisions , EE inaccuracies , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 72-88

composition: Op. 26 No 2, Polonaise in E♭ minor

No markings in A

Pedalling in FE (literal reading→GE1→GE2)

Pedalling in FE (interpretation→EE)

Pedalling in GE3 (→GE4)
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Chopin added the pedalling indication on the last beat of bars 72, 80 and 88 in the proofreading of FE. The  sign in bar 72 was placed before the F-f octave, which confused the engraver of GE1 (→GE2). Interestingly enough, the reviser of GE3 (→GE4) corrected this mistake, however, he did not follow the analogy with similar bars, yet he moved  under the last crotchet.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , GE revisions , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 89

composition: Op. 26 No 2, Polonaise in E♭ minor

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In FE (→EE1,GE1) the slur of the L.H., initiated in bar 88, is not continued on the new page. The inaccuracy was corrected in the subsequent impressions of GE and EE2.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

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

b. 92-93

composition: Op. 26 No 2, Polonaise in E♭ minor

Slur in A

No slur in FE (→GE,EE)
..

In A one can see a correction consisting in combining phrases in these bars, analogous to the one which in bars 84-85 Chopin introduced only in the proofreading of FE. The b-a slur, being one of the elements added in the new version, was, however, overlooked in the editions, which, according to us, was not intended by Chopin. 

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Corrections in A

b. 95

composition: Op. 26 No 2, Polonaise in E♭ minor

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Same as in the previous analogous places Chopin removed the staccato dots written in A while proofreading FE1. However, as a result of the inaccurately performed correction, the dots in the 2nd half in bar 95 remained partially visible. GE interpreted the notation correctly, yet in EE these not too visible signs were considered to be valid and, moreover, their counterparts in the part of the L.H. were added.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in FE , Authentic corrections of FE