Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt I

 b. 27-28

None of the three slurs in the R.H. in bars 27-30 is written in A precisely enough, thus raising certain doubts concerning their range:

• The first generally embraces only the group of four semiquavers, yet its shape and length suggest a greater range, from c² to a²; it concerns particularly the beginning of the slur.
• In the case of the second slur, it is the moment of its beginning that is unclear – when interpreted literally, the slur starts from the c² semiquaver, yet the distance to the d² crotchet preceding the semiquavers is actually almost identical as in the case of the c² minim in the previous bar.
• The third slur embraces the semiquavers and the 1st chord in bar 30, while the doubts concerning its range are based only on a comparison with the two previous slurs.

None of the editions bears traces of corrections of the slurring, hence A remains the only authentic source in this respect. The motifs in these bars may be considered analogous, which makes us consider the differences in notation to be accidental inaccuracies. This leads to a version in which all three slurs reach the 1st crotchet of the next bar and they begin either from a syncopation on the 2nd crotchet of a bar or from the 1st semiquaver. An alternative is to recognise the situation in bars 29-30 as an exception to the strict analogy due to the change of chord on the last crotchet in bar 29 and a different, closing character of bar 30. We support this point of view – the main text are slurs from the 2nd crotchet in bars 27 and 28 and from semiquavers in bar 29.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A

notation: Slurs