mUltimate Chopin

Op. 25 No 6, Etude in G♯ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Errors in GE

b. 4

composition: Op. 25 No 6, Etude in G♯ minor

..

FE, EE1 and GE1 misinterpreted the abbreviated notation of FC and of the remaining Stichvorlage manuscripts, giving the 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups of semiquavers without any accidentals. The mistake was corrected in EE2 (→EE3) and GE2 (→GE3). Similarly in almost all analogous places – cf. bars 8, 20 and 36, as well as 12 and 40.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Errors in EE , Omissions to cancel alteration , Errors in GE , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in FC

b. 5

composition: Op. 25 No 6, Etude in G♯ minor

..

In FE (→GE1) the last two semiquavers in these bars were erroneously copied from the next group (the 3rd and 4th semiquaver in bar 6). The mistake was corrected in GE2 (→GE3).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE , GE revisions , Errors of FC

b. 7-8

composition: Op. 25 No 6, Etude in G♯ minor

No accidentals in FC (→GE1), FE & EE

Naturals in GE2 (→GE3)

Naturals suggested by the editors
..

In front of the 2nd semiquaver in each of these bars, there are no accidentals in the sources except for naturals added in GE2 (→GE3), which cannot come from Chopin. Therefore, it seems that the top note is supposed to be a2. However, there are strong grounds, both source (proved also in other pieces Chopin's doubts concerning the notation of a/a notes in the G minor key) and stylistic (natural harmonic passage), for considering it as Chopin's mistake. Therefore, in the main text we suggest to add naturals to achieve the sound of a2.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Errors in FE , Errors in EE , Errors in GE , GE revisions , Last key signature sign , Errors of FC

b. 8

composition: Op. 25 No 6, Etude in G♯ minor

..

Same as in bar 4, FE, EE1 and GE1 misinterpreted here the abbreviated notation of FC and of the remaining Stichvorlage manuscripts, giving the 2nd, 3rd and 4th group of semiquavers without any accidentals. The mistake was corrected in EE2 (→EE3) and GE2 (→GE3).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Errors in EE , Omissions to cancel alteration , Errors in GE , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in FC

b. 12

composition: Op. 25 No 6, Etude in G♯ minor

F-G-F in FE & EE, contextual interpretation of FC

A-G-F in GE1

A-G-F in GE2 (→GE3)
..

The third quaver in FC is incomplete and, hence, illegible. One can see there traces of an unfinished correction – the note head of the A note was deleted, most probably together with the  placed in front of it (which gives A), however, there is no note written instead of the deleted one. GE1 decided to print in this place A; in this version the 5th quaver, devoid of the accidental, is an F. In turn, the reviser of GE2 (→GE3) added a  in front of it, raising it to F. None of these versions can be authentic, which is confirmed by the compatible text of FE and EE with F on the third, and as a consequence, 5th quaver. According to us, it is most probably this version that was the only one written by Chopin and if it had not been for the so-called Terzverschreibung error committed by the copyist, it would have been included also in FC.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE , Errors of FC