mUltimate Chopin

Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

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b. 4

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

No signs in CDP & EE

Accent &  in AI

 in A

 in GE1

  in FE & GE1a (→GE2)

 in GE3
..

In the main text we give a pair of   hairpins, being a result of Chopin proofreading of GE1a (→GE2); it is also FE that has identical indications. Hence Chopin returned – in a modified form – to the original idea written in AI. The abbreviated sign of GE1 is an attempt to interpret a not entirely clear notation of A; another attempt was made in GE3, ignoring the authentic proofreading of GE1a.

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

issues: GE revisions , Authentic corrections of GE , Unclear hairpins in A

b. 5

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

No sign in AI, CDP & EE

 in A (→GE) & FE
..

Lack of the sign in EE may indicate distraction of the engraver, copyist (if it was a copy of A that was the base text to EE) or of Chopin himself, if it was another autograph that constituted the base text or if the dynamic signs were added by Chopin already after the copy had been prepared. Moreover, in EE there are no dynamic signs in bars 4-7.
Also in AI, the second four-bar section of the Etude is practically devoid of dynamic signs – the accent in bar 6 is the only indication of this type.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

b. 5

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

..

In EE1 the lowest note of the last beat in the R.H. is the erroneous a1.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in EE

b. 6

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

No mark in CDP & EE

Short accent in AI & GE

Long accent in A

 in FE
..

Neither in AI nor in A is the type of accent Chopin thought of here clear. The sign is visibly shorter in AI than in A, therefore, we interpret it as a short and long accent, respectively. This is how we give it in the main text. According to us, it is highly likely that a long accent was written also in the base text to FE, reproduced inaccurately as .

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Long accents

b. 6

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

..

In all manuscripts, FE and EE1 (→EE2) have no flats returning e2 and e1. This inaccuracy, so characteristic for Chopin, was corrected only in GE and EE3.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: EE revisions , Omissions to cancel alteration , GE revisions , Errors of A