mUltimate Chopin

Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt II

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in GE

b. 4-5

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

Slur up to bar 5 in A, EE & GE2

Slur in bar 4 in GE1 (→FE)
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A shorter slur of GE1 is (together with the previous one) a clear example of carelessness presented by the engraver of GE1 at the time of handling the slurring written in A.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in GE , GE revisions

b. 6

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

Rhythm in A

Rhythm in GE

Rhythm in FE

Interpretation of FE suggested by the editors

Rhythm in EE

Interpretation of A suggested by the editors
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All source notations of the 2nd half of the bar are erroneous or unclear, however, none of them can be corrected in a way that would not be questioned.

  • In A the 3rd beat of the bar includes 9 demisemiquavers.
  • In GE the introduction of a smaller font to write demisemiquavers does not have an impact on the rhythmic values and seems to be an arbitrary decision of the engraver: he could have noticed a difference between the size of note heads in the 1st and 2nd halves of the bar. It appears even more likely when considering his blunder in the first Tutti in the 1st movement of the Concerto; following that incident, he must have paid attention even to the slightest differences in the size of note heads.
  • The corrected notation of FE, which interpreted literally is at the very least unclear, could have been a result of that mistake. Since the proofreading of FE was probably performed on Chopin's demand, one has to consider what its intended result could have been. The suggested solution is both formally correct and very close to the genuine source notation.
  • It is hard to guess what the idea behind the actions of the reviser of EE was.

In this situation, we base the main text on the version of A which, in spite of its inaccuracies, seems to be the most reliable, as far as the authenticity is concerned. Out of two natural possibilities of correcting the mistake (changing two demisemiquavers to hemidemisemiquavers or deleting one of the dots extending the e1 quaver) we choose the second, giving a smoother development of the figuration introducing the main theme. We suggest a modified version of FE as an alternative version.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Errors in GE , Rhythmic errors , Errors of A , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 6-7

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

 to bar 7 in A

 in bar 6 in GE (→FE→EE)
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The change of the range of the  sign is certainly an inaccuracy of GE (→FE→EE). In A one can see that Chopin deleted the hairpin written over the part of the R.H., having the same range as in the editions. The new sign was written under the group of demisemiquavers introducing the theme and led further on, to the e3 minim.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Corrections in A

b. 7

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

Quavers in A & GE2

Semiquavers in GE1 (→FE→EE)
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The change of the beam of the group of grace notes is probably an arbitrary decision of the engraver of GE1 (→FE→EE): cf. analogous bar 26 and bar 75.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , GE revisions

b. 7-8

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

Slurs from 2nd quaver in A & GE2

Slurs from 1st quaver in GE1 (→FE)

Different slurs in EE
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In A the vast majority of the beginnings of the slurs in the L.H., both in the figures embracing the whole bar and in the half-bar ones, does not include the bass note, usually provided with a staccato dot. Despite the fact that Chopin would not always put them precisely (e.g., a slur in bar 8), their systematical reproduction in GE1 (→FE→EE) as whole- or half-bar rather does not correspond to his intention (cf. the characterization of GE1), which was noticed in GE2.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , EE inaccuracies