Issues : Long accents

b. 4

composition: Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt I

Short accent in A (literal reading→GEFEEE)

Long accent in A, contextual interpretation

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In A, one can have doubts concerning the type of accent Chopin wanted to use. According to us, in this context a long accent is more likely.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents

b. 4-5

composition: Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt I

Long accents in A, probable interpretation

Short accents in A, possible interpretation

Short accents in GE (→FEEE)

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In A it is unclear what type of accents Chopin meant on the 4th beat of these bars. According to us, the use of long accents is more likely, which is indicated by both the shape of the sign in bar 4 and the placement of the sign in bar 5: this kind of short, yet shifted signs are sometimes to be found in Chopin's autographs, cf. e.g. Ap in the Etude in A minor, Op. 10 No. 2, bar 22, 27-29, 3245-46. In the editions the accents were reproduced as short; moreover, they were moved between the parts of both hands – the latter could have been indicated by Chopin in the proofreading of GE1.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , GE revisions

b. 23-25

composition: Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt I

Probably short accents in A (→GEFEEE)

Possible long accents in A

Possible different accents in A

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It is unclear which accents Chopin meant in these bars: those in bars 23-24 may be considered both long and short, while the accent in bar 25 is rather short. Due to the very last accent, in the main text we give three short accents.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents

b. 23-24

composition: Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt I

Long accents in A

Short accents in GE

No marks in FE (→EE)

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The accent in A in bar 23 is not a typical long accent, yet the musical context and analogy with the next bar encourage us to consider it a long one. The missing signs in FE (→EE) may be explained with an oversight of the engraver; however, it is also possible that the signs were added in the last stage of proofreading of GE1.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Errors in FE , Inaccuracies in GE

b. 26

composition: Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt I

Long accent in A (probable reading)

2 accents in GE1

Accent in FE (→EE)

2 accents in GE2

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The accent over the fminim visible in A may be interpreted as short or long. Among the remaining versions, the text of GE1 could have come from Chopin; however, an unambiguous, comprehensive reconstruction of the course of possible corrections of first editions does not seem to be possible in this place. Taking into account the fact that each notation emphasises – in one way or another – a syncopated entrance of a new, altered chord, in the main text we leave the undoubtedly authentic notation of A (in the version with a long accent, more likely in this context).

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Errors in FE , GE revisions , Authentic corrections of GE