GE1 - First German edition


Publisher: Breitkopf & Härtel
Date: V 1840
Plate number: 6329
Title: Sonate
Dedication: None

GE1 is based on GC, however, the text of the base was reproduced with a significant number of defects, resulting from distraction (oversights), misunderstanding of the manuscript or use of certain engraver conventions (manners). One can mention here:

The most serious deviations from the text of GC, devoid of mistakes, are:

  • addition of a repetition sign before bar 5;
  • oversight of the middle notes of the chord in bar 66;
  • e2 instead of d2 in the last chord in bar 77;
  • change of B to B in bar 120;
  • Terzverschreibung error in bar 148;
  • oversight of B1 in bar 241.

GE1 performed a careful revision of accidentals, detecting the vast majority of the manuscript's deficiencies and adding a number of cautionary accidentals:

  • completed overlooked signs, e.g., in bar 22107, 110, 115, 124, 127-128, 137-138, 145-150
  • added cautionary signs, e.g., in bar 93, 96129 or 136-137.

Defects of a varied nature were also corrected, e.g.:

  • the erroneous rhythmic value of the chord in bar 41 and octave in bar 110 was corrected;
  • the overlooked octave sign in bar 73 was added;
  • the erroneous tenth was corrected to an octave in bar 93;
  • the inaccurately written notes in bars 112-114 were corrected;
  • the inaccurately written L.H. slurs in bar 137 were corrected;
  • the erroneous seventh in bar 141 was corrected to a sixth;
  • the erroneous f was corrected to an e in the last chord in bar 226.

Nothing indicates Chopin's participation in the preparation of GE1. There is a high likelihood that even the most serious interventions are a result of a routine revision, at the same time, some of them are contrary to the undoubtedly authentic versions of independent sources (FE and EE1). For example, in bar 141 a possible Chopin's error of notation was corrected by him in FE3, while GE only revised the notation (see also bar 130 and 131 in the 2nd movement of the Sonata).

Certain mistakes of the base text remained without correction in GE1, as for example the haplography in bar 217, the  placed before an erroneous note in bar 219 or a1 instead of f1 in the chord in bar 236.

Original in: Biblioteka Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika, Toruń
Shelf-mark: IV 2071