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Different accents in FC |
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Long accents suggested by the editors |
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Our alternative suggestion |
It is not obvious what type of accents Chopin had on his mind in these fragments where the passages form two-bar phrases – bars 15-16, 17-18, 19-20 and similarly in bars 23-28 and 71-80. However, one can assume that the accents opening the phrases in bars 15, 17, 19 and analog. were supposed to be identical according to his intention, similarly as those in bars 16, 18, 20 and analog. The comparison of all the aforementioned bars allows for the following observations:
- in the editions it is the short accents that generally prevail. Long accents appear only in FE in bars 72-80 and in EE in bar 80 and are always paired with a second accent – most often a short one – concerning the same beat of the bar (only in bars 76 and 80 one can encounter in FE such pairs made of two long accents);
- two long accents in bar 72 in FE are undoubtedly a result of Chopin review of print;
- in FC it is the long accents that prevail, both in uneven bars, beginning the passages (6 long, 5 short), and in the even ones (22 to 9, with two omitted ones);
- Chopin corrected accents in FC – he deleted the signs written by the copyist and introduced new, most often moving them over or between the parts of both hands. The corrections can be seen in bars 18-19, 24, 26, 28, 72 and 78; all added signs are long accents. It is also very likely that other long accents were added by Chopin too, e.g., in bars 15, 20, 71, 73-76 and 79;.
Taking into account general problems of the editors with recognition of long accents and Chopin corrections in FC and FE, we consider the use of long accents to be most probably corresponding to the intention of the composer.
The aforementioned Chopin corrections in FC can be, according to us, considered to be conclusive also in the case of placement of the accents – in a few places, the signs, written initially under the part of the L.H., were replaced with accents above the stave, referring most probably to both notes written under them. Such a double force of the accents is somehow confirmed by the double accents in FE. At the same time, however, in FC Chopin did not use such double accents at all – these visible in FE could have been an intermediate solution, in which Chopin added accents over the stave, not deleting the previous ones (e.g., in order to avoid excessive deletions or too complex corrections). The most problematic issue is the placement of the accents in bars 15, 17, 19 and analog.:
- the long accents in bars 15, 71, 73, 75 and 79, all placed over the bottom stave, could have been added by Chopin, which would clearly show the composer's preference. Such placed accents create homogeneous groups of signs together with the adjacent ones, which can be best seen in bars 74-75 and 78-79;
- on the other hand, the only unquestionable correction of the accent beginning the passage – in bar 19 – suggests that Chopin preferred to see the accents lower, between the parts of both hands.
Wanting to convey Chopin intention written in the base text as faithfully as possible, in the main text we suggest the following solution:
- in bars 15, 17, 19, 23, 25 and 27 we place the accents between the notes, in accordance with the prevailing in these bars manner of notation, confirmed with the correction in bar 19;
- we suggest the notation with accents over the stave as the only one in bar 71 and further and as an alternative one in the remaining ones.
Compare the passage in the sources »
category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions
issues: Long accents, Omitted correction of an analogous place, Authentic corrections of FC
notation: Articulation, Accents, Hairpins