mUltimate Chopin

Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description
Select: 
Category
All
Graphic ambiguousness
Interpretations within context
Differences between sources
Editorial revisions
Corrections & alterations
Source & stylistic information
Notation
All
Pitch
Rhythm
Slurs
Articulation, Accents, Hairpins
Verbal indications
Pedalling
Fingering
Ornaments
Shorthand & other
Importance
All
Important
Main
Undo Clear

b. 29

composition: Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

15 notes in AI

14 notes in A (→CDP,GE), FE & EE
..

The version of AI is earlier and abandoned by Chopin, however, it perfectly illustrates three issues Chopin took into account at the time of works on the finishing of the Etude: the number of figures in the L.H., details of the arrangement of the spread out chords creating the figuration, notation of small and big notes. It is also the fact of marking the five-note figures as pentuplets, not appearing in the final version, that draws attention.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

b. 29

composition: Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

Accent on d2 in AI

 & accent on c3 in A

Accent on c3 in CDP

 & accent on c3 in FE & EE

 & accent on f2 in GE1

 & accent on c3 in GE2 (→GE3)
..

The earlier version of AI enables to observe the changes in the dynamics and accentuation of this bar – Chopin moved the accent from the first to the 4th beat of the bar and added  in the 1st half of the bar. The sign of accent in A, written inaccurately, was undoubtedly erroneously reproduced in GE1, which was only partially corrected in GE2 (→GE3). The interpretation adopted in the main text is confirmed by the signs in FE and EE.

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

issues: Long accents , GE revisions

b. 29

composition: Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

3 pedals in AI & A (→GE)

2 pedals in FE

4 pedals in EE
..

It is hard to evaluate the authenticity of alternative pedalling of FE and EE. Each of them may be a result of either the copyist's or engraver's mistake or Chopin correction in one of the lost autographs. The authenticity of all three source versions could mean Chopin's significant uncertainty, as far as the best pedalling variant of this bar is concerned.

We complete the unfinished pedalling of AI on the basis of A.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

b. 29-38

composition: Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

..

In CDP there are no pedalling marks from bar 29 until the end of the piece. We do not consider it to be a real "variant" of indications and we do not include this source in the pedalling notes.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors of CDP

b. 30

composition: Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

..

The pencilled corrections visible in AI prove that originally, the 2nd half of this bar was identical as in bar 26.

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Accompaniment changes , Main-line changes