mUltimate Chopin

Op. 35, Sonata in B♭ minor, Mvt IV

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Omissions to cancel alteration

b. 22

composition: Op. 35, Sonata in B♭ minor, Mvt IV

E-e in the sources (literal reading)

E-e (possible interpretation)

Our variant suggestion
..

After the modulating progressions of the previous bars, bars 21-22 lead – via the ninth dominant chord (A)-c-e-g-b – to the D major key, in which bars 23-30 are maintained. In this context, at the end of bar 22, d-e-f sounds much more natural than d-e-f. Therefore, apart from the version of the sources with E-e on the penultimate quaver, we suggest an alternative version with E-e. 

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Editorial revisions

issues: Omissions to cancel alteration

b. 47

composition: Op. 35, Sonata in B♭ minor, Mvt IV

c1-c2 in the sources (literal reading)

c1-c2 (possible interpretation)

Our variant suggestion
..

The first quaver of the last triplet, c1(2), may be perceived as strange, if we consider that the a-f sixth, ending the 1st half of the bar, determines the return of the B minor key, in which it is c1(2) that is a diatonic note. However, it is not obvious, moreover, the B minor key does not exclude the use of a lowered second degree. The validity of the assumption that Chopin forgot to cancel the flats from the 1st half of the bar becomes even more questionable if we take into consideration the interval structure of the 2nd and 4th triplets in bar 47 and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th triplets in bar 48 – at the beginning of each of them (except for the discussed one) there is a minor second. In this case, in the main text we leave the version of the sources, suggesting possible conjectures as alternative versions. 

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Editorial revisions

issues: Omissions to cancel alteration , Errors of A

b. 50

composition: Op. 35, Sonata in B♭ minor, Mvt IV

b-b1 in the sources (literal reading)

b-b1 (possible interpretation)

Our variant suggestion
..

A number of editors of later collective editions considers the absence of the flats restoring b(1) at the end of the bar to be an oversight of Chopin, which, of course, cannot be excluded. An argument for an oversight could be a vast majority of minor seconds in the motivic structure of the Finale, particularly in similar figures (bars 5, 7, 16, 24-26, 28-30, 35-38, 43, 45, 50, 51-56, 60), which is, however, difficult to be considered to be conclusive. In the main text we suggest a variant solution.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Editorial revisions

issues: Omissions to cancel alteration , Errors of A

b. 51

composition: Op. 35, Sonata in B♭ minor, Mvt IV

g(1) in GC (→GE), EE & FED

g(1) suggested by the editors

g(1) in FE
..

In FE there are no flats restoring g and g1 on the 5th quaver. As respective signs are before the 9th quaver (in all sources), the version, with g and g1 on the 5th quaver, formally does not contain a mistake. In spite of this, it seems to be much more likely that it is a mistake that happened to Chopin in [A] – in GC (→GE) the composer added the overlooked flats, the signs were also added in EE and FED, which, in both cases, may come from Chopin. Therefore, we are dealing with a too late placement of sign, which is not an isolated case – cf., e.g., the Etude in F major, Op. 10 No. 8, bar 43. In the main text, we do not include the superfluous flats in the 2nd half of the bar.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , EE revisions , Errors in FE , Annotations in FED , Omissions to cancel alteration , Authentic corrections in GC

b. 66

composition: Op. 35, Sonata in B♭ minor, Mvt IV

..

Same as in bar 63, the absence of accidentals before the 8th quaver creates a doubt whether Chopin had in mind d-d1 or d-d1. In this case, however, we consider cancellations of alterations to be clearly the more likely possibility and we suggest the version with d-d1 as the only one.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Editorial revisions

issues: Errors in FE , Errors in EE , Omissions to cancel alteration , Errors in GE , Errors of GC