mUltimate Chopin

Op. 25 No 9, Etude in G♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Errors in GE

b. 8

composition: Op. 25 No 9, Etude in G♭ major

2 long accents in GC

No accents in FE

Short accent in GE1 & EE

2 short accents in GE2 (→GE3)
..

Same as in the previous bars, the accents are a result of Chopin additions in GC and (most probably) in the base text to EE. The first two signs are clearly longer, however, according to us, it follows from the intention of clearly writing the signs overlapping the slur. The missing second one in GE1 is most probably an oversight (cf. the note concerning the chord in the L.H.), yet it is hard to state what was the reason of omitting this sign in EE.

See also the note on articulation in this bar.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Long accents , Errors in GE

b. 8

composition: Op. 25 No 9, Etude in G♭ major

a in chord in GC, FE, EE1 (→EE2) & GE2 (→GE3)

No a in chord in GE1 & EE3
..

Omitting the a note in the 2nd chord could have been Chopin's correction, introduced together with the changes in the Etude in A major, No. 1. The composer could have considered the chord without a as an improvement, due to a slightly clearer sound, while maintaining both the completeness of the harmonic structure and logics of the voice leading. According to us, it is, however, the engraver's oversight that seems to be more likely here, as in this Etude – same as in the remaining ones, except for the first one – there are no other traces of possible Chopin interventions in GE1, while omissions of a clearly written note in the base text are to be found in the first German edition, e.g., in the Etude in A minor, No. 4, bar 37. The version of GE1 was repeated in EE3, whereas in GE2 (→GE3), the four-note version of the base text was introduced (GC).

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: EE revisions , Errors in GE , Authentic corrections of GE

b. 9-13

composition: Op. 25 No 9, Etude in G♭ major

..

In GC (→GE1), FE and EE there are no naturals raising c to c in bars 9 and 13 and c1 to c1 in bar 12. These are Chopin's obvious oversights, while the signs were added in FED (in bar 9) and FEJ and FES (all).
GE1 also omitted the  raising c1 to c1 in bar 10. GE2 (→GE3) features the correct text. 

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , Errors in FE , Annotations in FED , Errors in EE , Errors in GE , GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals , Annotations in FES , Annotations in FEJ

b. 34

composition: Op. 25 No 9, Etude in G♭ major

No accidentals in sources (literal reading—C-c)

Contextual interpretation suggested by the editors (C-c)
..

Lack of the naturals raising C-c to C-c is almost certainly Chopin's mistake, despite the fact that this kind of oversights of signs introducing alterations are not frequent (yet they are to be found in, e.g., the Etude in F minor, No. 2, bar 56). It could have seemed that the C-c octave did not require naturals due to the following reasons:

  • on a number of occasions, Chopin was not sure whether the last or the following it key signature is valid or not, particularly when their number was significant (cf., e.g., the Etude in G minor, No. 6, t. 7-8).
  • the chromatic progressions are characteristic for the melodic structure of a number of fragments of the Etude, e.g., in bars 1-3, 10, 23-24 (in the latter they are also in the harmonic structure). The last such fragment are bars 32-36;
  • the harmonic progression at the transition between bars 34-35 was probably supposed to refer to the progression in bars 32-33, where there is C-c. Therefore, the psychological mechanism of overlooking the naturals could have been similar to the one that was responsible for omissions of the signs of the current key – here is the signs of the current harmonic context that would have been omitted.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

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