Originally, bars 471-474 were encompassed with two two-bar slurs in A. Chopin then crossed the slurs out and replaced them with four shorter ones, which were reproduced as one-bar slurs in the editions. According to us, it is likely that this is what Chopin's intention was – cf. the unquestionable slurring of similar bars 476-480. However, the situation at the transition between bars 472-473 and 474-475 is far from being unambiguous:
- When interpreted literally, the slurs in bars 474-475, in spite of having been written on different pages, clearly mark one, two-bar slur. At the same time, it can be seen that the original two-bar slur encompassing bars 473-474 clearly exceeded the bar line on the page, suggesting continuation.
- In bars 472-473 both slurs added during a correction are inaccurate. The first of them reaches only the penultimate quaver in the bar, yet it is probably supposed to reach further – Chopin could have been thinking that he was adding only the beginning of a new slur, whereas the moment of the ending is indicated by the ending of the more elaborate, original slur. The second slur begins already at the end of bar 472, which may have resulted from the need to embrace with it the final notation of the 1st triplet in bar 473, placed on an adjacent stave; however, it may also mean that the slur is to continue the previous one.
Taking into consideration the above observations, we suggest two interpretations of the slurs in these bars.
Compare the passage in the sources »
category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources
issues: Inaccuracies in GE, Corrections in A, Errors resulting from corrections
notation: Slurs