mUltimate Chopin

Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

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b. 1

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

A in AI

A1 in A (→CDP,GE), FE & EE
..

A greater schematic approach is generally characteristic for original versions, in this case AI. Lowering some bass notes or doubling them during the works on a piece is characteristic for Chopin – cf., e.g., the Etude in D major, No. 8, bars 25-26, Etude in D major, Dbop. 36 No. 3, bars 55-59, Waltz in A major, Op. 42, bar 31 and 273, Polonaise in E minor, Op. 26 No. 2, bars 103-104. 

See also the note to bar 36.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Accompaniment changes

b. 1

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

 in bar 1 in AI, FE & EE

 from anacrusis in A (→GE)
..

It is not clear whether according to Chopin the  mark refers to the crotchet of the upbeat or to the entrance of the L.H. Similar marks in bars 4, 5, 8, 12, 16 (of these on the 1st page of A) are written clearly before the note they concern, which would point to the second possibility. Such pedalling is given by FE and EE. In the main text we adopt the interpretation of GE – pedal from the upbeat:

  • it is compatible with the literal interpretation of A – the  mark fits entirely before the bar line, while it begins even slightly before the crotchet rest,
  • such pedalling is natural both in terms of sound and piano technique,
  •  and  marks are in a similar place in A, while the dynamic indication is certainly binding from the beginning of the piece.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

b. 3

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

No signs in AI & CDP

  in A

  in GE

  in EE

  in FE

Our suggestion
..

Chopin added the dynamic indication in this bar only at the time of preparing the Etude for print. Initially, he provided the f2 note with an accent (as in bar 2), yet eventually he chose a pair of   hairpins. However, the signs are imprecise – the arms of the first one are of different length, while the second seems to be shortened in order to avoid a possible illegible mergence of the sign with the note in the L.H. or the semiquaver beam in the R.H. (GE reproduced it in such a way). In the main text we suggest an interpretation of the hairpins of A based on the above analysis and comparison with FE and EE.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Deletions in A

b. 3

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

Fingering in FED

No teaching fingering
..

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , Annotations in FED

b. 4

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

 in AI

No markings in A (→GE), FE & EE
..

The pedal change written in AI was overlooked in A. Cf. bar 1.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations