A
Main text
½A - Semi-autograph
A - Autograph of the piano part
Morch - Manuscript of the orchestra part
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE1a - Retouched impression of GE1
GE2 - Second German edition
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Corrected impression of FE1
FED - Dubois copy
FEJ - Jędrzejewicz copy
FES - Stirling copy
EE - English edition
EE1 - First English edition
EE2 - Revised impression of EE1
EE3 - Corrected impression of EE2
compare
  b. 1

Slur from 1st note of bar in A & GE2

Slur from quavers in GE1 (→FEEE)

The traces of corrections in print visible in GE1 prove that the first slur was corrected in this edition. However, the proofreading certainly concerned the ending of the slur, which initially reached only the end of bar 2; the correction of the beginning of the slur is uncertain.
The motif in this form appears once more, in bar 325, and the slur therein also runs from the initial crotchet. However, it should be observed that the slurring of the recapitulation is generally different and such a comparison cannot resolve doubts. The motif in bar 25 has a similar rhythmic structure, and the slur starts there clearly from the 1st quaver (in A one can see that Chopin wrote there initially d2-e2-f2-g2, as in bar 1). This analogy also cannot be considered a strong justification, this time of the version of GE1, since the theme begins here from a syncopated, tied note, which changes mutual relationships of particular fragments of the motif.

In conclusion, there are no arguments strong enough to consider the authenticity of the version of GE1 (→FEEE) to be likely to an extent allowing its adoption in the main text.  

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions, Authentic corrections of GE, Corrected slurs of Op. 21 in GE1

notation: Slurs

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Original in: Biblioteka Narodowa, Warszawa