b. 3

Fingering in A (→GE)

Fingering in FE & EE2 (→EE3)

No fingering in EE1

Our suggestion

Lack of fingering in EE1 and the differing indications in FE mean that the numerals in A were almost certainly added already after both copies serving as base texts to the aforementioned editions had been prepared. It is compatible with the natural supposition that the pencilled additions in the preserved set of manuscripts of the entire Op. 25 is the last phase of their preparation before handing them over to the German editor. In this situation, the fingering of FE could have been added more or less at the same time in the base text to this edition or added later in the proofreading of FE. The first possibility suggests that Chopin intentionally wrote different fingering to different manuscripts, as he considered both to be equally convenient. In turn, the fact of adding a different fingering in the proofreading of FE, when there was already no opportunity to change the entry in A, may be interpreted as a signal of the concept's change – it cannot be excluded that Chopin considered the new fingering to be clearly better (after all, he did not change it in any of the two pupil's copies bearing traces of development).

According to us, regardless of the fact when and how the fingering in FE was added, there are no grounds to consider it to be final, therefore, in the main text we include both variants of the fingering. The first nine pairs of numerals, given directly over the notes, come from FE and EE2 (→EE3), while the indications placed above and the last two pairs – with A (→GE). In EE1 there is no fingering in this bar.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Differences in fingering, Authentic corrections of FE

notation: Fingering

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