Op. 64 No 2, Waltz in C♯ minor

  b. 34

		g-c1-e1 in As & AI
		g-e1 in A (→FE→GE,EE)

The presence of the c¹ notes on the 2nd and 3rd crotchets in the L.H. in bars 34, 42 and analogous raises doubts. In this kind of situations, determining whether a possible internal element of the chord placed on a ledger line is actually included in it can be very difficult in Chopin's manuscripts, even when examining the original. In the case of the Waltz, the photocopy of A available to us makes it absolutely impossible. FE (→EE) includes triads in bars 42, 106, 162 and 170, whereas sixths are in bars 34 and 98. Since the repetitions of this section (bars 97-128 and 161-192) are marked in A only in an abbreviated manner as repetitions of bars 33-64, the version of bar 162, corresponding to bars 34 and 98, may be certainly considered to be erroneous. GE1op and GE1no2 are compatible with FE except for bar 106, in which there are sixths. In later GE, unifying revisions were performed in this bar and in bar 162 – in GE2op (→GE3op) chords were introduced in bar 106, whereas in all later GE – sixths in bar 162.

There remains a question whether the triads in bars 42, 106 and 170 correspond to Chopin's intention. The arguments agains this thesis are as follows:

• exclusive use of dyads in adjacent bars by Chopin;
• compliant appearance of sixths in identical, as far as the pitch is concerned, bar 34 and analog. (except for the erroneous version of bar 162), as well as bars 50, 58 and analog., which, despite differences in performance indications, are identical in terms of rhythm and pitch. Comparability of the sound context of all of these places are emphasised by identical adjacent bars in all cases;
• noticeable, on the basis of earlier autographs, tendency of Chopin to simplify the accompaniment. In As the 2nd and 3rd crotchets are written out with notes in these bars only once (in bar 34) and they are g-c¹-e¹ triads. In AI bars 34 and 42 are written out, in the first there are triads, in the second – sixths. In A and in the editions, independently from the difficulties with interpretation and possible mistakes, the process of abandoning triads is certainly even more advanced – three out of four written out bars almost certainly include sixths (bars 34, 50 and 58);
• one could also consider the omission in A of the 2nd crotchet in bar 39 (and 55) present in AI and replacement of chords present on the 2nd and 3rd beat of bar 40 (and 56) with sixths a manifestation of the tendency described above;
• a high possibility of mistakes due to repetition of identical bars and numerous abbreviations.

Due to the above reasons, in the main text we give sixths in all discussed bars; the version is present in the sources in GE2no2.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: Uncertain notes on ledger lines

notation: Pitch

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