mUltimate Chopin

Op. 25 No 1, Etude in A♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Long accents

b. 1-2

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

Long accent in AI

  in A (→GE1→GE1a)

  in FE

  in EE

  in GE2 (→GE3)
..

The long accent under f2 at the beginning of bar 2 in #AW is the original concept of dynamic markings in these bars. In A one can see that Chopin rejected the accent (placed above this note) in favour of a pair of   hairpins. The hairpins were incorrectly reproduced in GE1 (→GE1a), yet only the fact of beginning diminuendo in GE2 (→GE3) from the beginning of bar 2 may be considered as a quite significant change. In FE and EE, diminuendo immediately follows crescendo. In the main text we reproduce the signs of A, the only ones written undoubtedly by Chopin's hand.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Long accents , Inaccuracies in GE , GE revisions , Deletions in A

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. 13

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

Accent in AI

 in A

 in GE, FE & EE
..

The type of accent used in AI may raise doubts. We interpret it as a long accent, as the sign is clearly bigger than the short accents in bars 6 and 10. In the final version, Chopin rejected the accent, choosing a pair of   signs in this and the next bar instead. In the main text we give the hairpins in a form being compatible with the notation of A to the greatest extent.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Long accents

b. 15

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

No sign in AI & CDP

Long accent in A, literal reading

 in A (contextual interpretation →GE1→GE1a)

 in FE

 in EE & GE2 (→GE3)
..

The sign in A may be considered as a long accent, yet according to us, it is much more likely that Chopin had diminuendo hairpins in mind, closing the dynamic wave in this bar.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Scope of dynamic hairpins , GE revisions

b. 16

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

No mark in AI, CDP & FE

Long accent in A & GE2 (→GE3)

 in EE

Short accent in GE1 (→GE1a)
..

In GE1 (→GE1a) the undeniable long accent of A was reproduced as short. In the second German edition (GE2 and GE3), the sign was slightly extended, hence we assume that the edition includes a long accent, in accordance with A. It is hard to state to what an extent the  hairpins visible in EE faithfully reproduce a message from Chopin, therefore, in the main text we adopt the accent written in A.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents