The dim. indication was probably added by Chopin in the base text to EE (another possibility – revision of the editor – seems to be much less likely). The absence of the indication in the remaining sources can be explained with Chopin's distraction, yet also with, e.g., a conscious resignation from a total assimilation of the performance of this fragment to analogous bars 45-48. Due to this fact, in the main text we leave the performance of this indication at the discretion of the performer.
The manner of writing the dim. and ritenuto indications – it concerns both bars 26-28 and 45-48 – does not clearly show whether the first of them is still valid in the area of validity of the second. According to us, the indications are to be considered independently – in the fragments marked with ritenuto one can continue diminuendo or not; one can even consider the use of crescendo.
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category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations
notation: Verbal indications