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Pedalling in A, contextual interpretation |
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The moments of pedal change in A are not entirely clear, although the markings were correct – one can see traces of deletion of certain signs before the 
sign falling on the 3rd crotchet in bar 121 and at the beginning of bar 122, after the sign. It is difficult to say with certainty what was removed, but, according to us, in bar 121 it was a 
sign and in bar 122 – a . The last correction suggests that Chopin would move the moment of pedal change from the beginning of the bar to the last semiquaver of the previous one. The notation in the middle of bar 122 may be considered a confirmation of such an understanding of pedalling, although it is not entirely certain, since Chopin would often write a sign clearly before the note it was to concern (it can be seen e.g. at the beginning of bars 121 and 123). If such a reasoning is right, the correction in the middle of bar 121 was probably aimed at an analogous change, but it remained – due to distraction – unfinished. Considering the correction at the transition between bars 121 and 122 to be reflecting the final idea of Chopin, in the main text we give pedal changes under the f2 semiquavers-minims.
However, the above interpretation may be questioned from the practical point of view: with such pedalling, the ingenious and suggestive notation of sustentions of pairs of top notes of the figuration in the R.H. would have actually become superfluous, since they are sustained with pedal in any case. In this context, the corrections in A could be interpreted differently: the unfinished correction in bar 121 would not be a moment of distraction, but of realising that the introduced changes are superfluous. The correction at the transition between bars 121 and 122, probably performed first, was not rectified, since another erasure was a threat to the integrity of the entire leaf, and the notation in bar 122 may be – as mentioned above – interpreted in a variety of ways. It leads to the second of the proposed pedallings, in which the moments of pedal change fall on the beginning of subsequent halves of bars. It is generally compliant with the notation of GE1 (→FE→EE), we only added the signs overlooked in the middle of bar 121: an asterisk, left out still in A, and , reproduced erroneously in the editions as 
(cf. a similar mistake in comparable conditions – no – in bar 283).
The argument that the double marking of sustaining the f2-d
2 notes, with rhythmic values and pedal, is allegedly unnecessary is only partially true. In fact, the pedalling indicates a way of performing the sustention at the physical level, at most. The uncommon rhythmic notation also, or maybe above all, constitutes an inspiration showing particular sound planes, providing incentive for looking for a right, balanced way of playing particular notes.
Compare the passage in the sources »
category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations
issues: Corrections in A, Errors in GE, No pedal release mark
notation: Pedalling