mUltimate Chopin

Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in A

b. 10-11

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

No sign in CDP & AI

 in A

 in GE & FE

 in EE

 suggested by the editors
..

The  hairpins in A are written inaccurately – at the right-hand end, their arms are of different length, hence in GE they reach up to the middle of the 3rd group of semiquavers. The beginning of the sign, at the end of bar 10, also seems to have been added too early, which is indicated by the  mark, contrary to it, added in bar 10 in a proofreading of GE2, as well as by the hairpins in FE and EE.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Unclear hairpins in A , Inaccuracies in A

b. 19

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

..

The difference between the abbreviated notations of AI (repetition signs for 2 last figures) and A (signs for all 3 last figures) could suggest that in the latter all four G notes are supposed to have normal ("big") note heads. According to us, the notation of A is to be interpreted as a simplified version of the notation of AI, which is also confirmed by FE and EE.
In GE1 (→GE1a), the G note on the 2nd beat of the bar is also written as "big", which was corrected in GE2 (→GE3).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Authentic corrections of GE , Inaccuracies in A

b. 25

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

..

In the majority of the sources, there are inaccuracies concerning the notation of accidentals, not having an impact on the interpretation of the text. In AI, A (→CDP) and FE, there are no naturals before the 3rd note in the L.H. (a) and the 4th note in the R.H. (e1), while in EE1, there is no  before the 3rd note in the R.H. (c2). GE and EE2 (→EE3) have the correct text. In some of the sources, there are additional cautionary accidentals – naturals before A in the middle of the bar and a1 in the last group in AI and before c3 in GE3 (→#GE4). 

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in FE , Errors in EE , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 37

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

No sign in AI & CDP

 in A

 in FE

 w EE

 in GE

 suggested by the editors
..

Particular sources differ quite significantly, as far as the range of  hairpins is concerned. Taking into consideration the fact that the notation of A is not very precise in this respect and the fact that the signs in the base texts for FE and EE could have been written also by Chopin himself, in the main text we suggest hairpins of an average length and placement. Similarly in analogous bar 39.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Scope of dynamic hairpins , Inaccuracies in A

b. 39-47

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

..

The final section of the Etude, plenty of repeating figures, is written in all manuscripts – AI, A and CDP – with as frequent use of // repetition signs as possible. Same as before (cf., e.g., bar 19), we consider the notation of A in bars 41-43, which does not include the difference of size of the bass notes' heads, to be inaccurate.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Abbreviated notation of A , Inaccuracies in A