mUltimate Chopin

Op. 25 No 11, Etude in A minor

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b. 52

composition: Op. 25 No 11, Etude in A minor

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In the main text, in the 1st half of the bar we add cautionary naturals in the part of both hands. The signs – in a slightly different set (before the 2nd, 3rd and 4th semiquaver in the R.H. and before the 2nd octave in the L.H.) – were added already in GE2 (→GE3).

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: GE revisions

b. 54

composition: Op. 25 No 11, Etude in A minor

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In the main text we remove the unnecessary  before the 2nd semiquaver, b1, present in all sources.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Cautionary accidentals

b. 55-56

composition: Op. 25 No 11, Etude in A minor

Different slurs in GC

Shorter slurs in FE & EE

Longer slurs in GE
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The slur of GC in bar 55 begins just after the 1st crotchet, hence beginning the slur in GE from this crotchet is not surprising. However, in bar 56 the slur of GC, corrected by Chopin, starts undoubtedly from the 2nd quaver, which was, however, ignored in GE. Both FE and EE show that in both bars the slur should certainly begin from the 2nd crotchet.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions , Inaccuracies in GC

b. 57

composition: Op. 25 No 11, Etude in A minor

g3-d3 in GC (→GE1)

g2-d2 in FE, EE & GE2 (→GE3)
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The version of GC (→GE1) is certainly erroneous – in this bar Chopin embraced only four semiquavers with the octave sign, differently than in similar bars, which most probably confused the copyist.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions , Errors of GC

b. 57

composition: Op. 25 No 11, Etude in A minor

f in GC (→GE1), FE & EE

f with  in GE2 (→GE3)

f  suggested by the editors
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Chopin's oversight of the sharps raising f to f is supported by the following arguments:

  • in all similarly structured bars – e.g. bars 9-12, 17-18 and analog. – subsequent odd semiquavers create pairs made of delay and resolution, separated with an interval of minor or major second; f notes would have broken this rule;
  • introduction of a chord with a minor f ninth already in bar 57 would have unnecessarily anticipated the appearance of this chords in bar 59;
  • this type of oversights of accidentals are quite frequent in Chopin's works (cf., e.g., the notes to bars 11 and 75 and 46 of this etude, as well as to the Etude in G minor, Op. 25 No. 6, bars 7-8).

GE2 (→GE3) added cautionary naturals before these notes.

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

issues: GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals