mUltimate Chopin

Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt I

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Issues : Accidentals in different octaves

b. 21-22

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

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In A three necessary accidentals are missing: the  raising E to E in bar 21, the  lowering g1 to g1 and the  raising A1 to A1 in bar 22. The first two out of these patent inaccuracies were corrected already in GE1 (→FE→EE, →GE2), yet the third only in EE and GE2.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 24

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

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A does not have an accidental before the topmost note in the 1st chord. The patent inaccuracy was corrected in GE (→FE→EE).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Accidentals in different octaves , Inaccuracies in A

b. 101-103

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

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The notation of accidentals in the figurations in these bars is both refined and inaccurate in A. Chopin took care of the cautionary signs (naturals before the topmost c2, c3 and c4 notes and flats before d1 and d3 in the ending of bars 101 and 103); however, he omitted a number of necessary signs – naturals returning c2 and c3 at the beginning of the last group in bars 102 and 103 and naturals raising d2 to d2 and e2 to e2 in bar 103. The editions addressed only the last two mentioned inaccuracies:

  • GE (→FE) did add two naturals in bar 103, yet a mistake was committed at the same time – it was c2 and d2 instead of d2 and e2 that were deleted;
  • in EE1 (→EE2) one of the added signs was removed, the superfluous  before c2;
  • in EE3 the version of EE2 was completed with a  raising e2 to e2.

In the main text we give all necessary signs and we add a cautionary  before d2 in bar 102.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , Omissions to cancel alteration , GE revisions , Cautionary accidentals , Omission of current key accidentals , Inaccuracies in A

b. 109-110

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

d2-d2  (?) in A, literal reading

d2-d2 in A (contextual interpretation→GE→FE→EE)
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In both bars there are no accidentals both before the 12th and the 13th semiquavers in A. The flats added in the proofreading of GE (→FE→EE) – almost certainly by Chopin – confirm that we are dealing here with a rare case of a fourfold composer's error, who overlooked both the naturals altering d2 to d2 and flats returning d2. Both necessary naturals were added in EE and the first of them (in bar 109) also in GE2. This kind of mistake may seem implausible, yet in the notation of A, in which the 2nd and 3rd groups of semiquavers are written an octave lower with the use of the octave sign, the error does not seem so striking:

  • the discussed notes are not next to each other, hence a juxtaposition of two identical notes, which do not have accidentals, yet they sound differently, is absent;
  • naturals before d2 seem to be obvious after naturals in both hands in the 1st half of each bar;
  • d2 are sounds of the fixed, current key, F minor, hence the absence of flats is a typical Chopin oversight of cancelling alterations.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , Inaccuracies in GE , Omissions to cancel alteration , GE revisions , Errors of A , Authentic corrections of GE

b. 113

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

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In A a  before the bottom note of the octave in the L.H. at the beginning of the bar is missing, as well as before the 3rd semiquaver in the R.H. in the 2nd half of the bar (d1). In turn, Chopin repeated a  before B, the 2nd semiquaver in the L.H. In GE1 (→FE) only the missing  before the octave was added, while in EE and GE2 – both necessary naturals. Moreover, EE3 added a cautionary  before b in the L.H. in the 3rd group of semiquavers; the sign was also added in FED. In the main text we add two necessary naturals and we remove the superfluous sign before the 2nd semiquaver in the L.H.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , EE revisions , Annotations in FED , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Cautionary accidentals , Inaccuracies in A