Bars 293 and 295, identical in terms of pitch and rhythm, were provided in A with an accent over the 1st note of the triplet, c1, and a 
to the topmost note of the bar. The same set of markings is present in bar 297, yet in bar 299 there is only the accent, whereas the next two repetitions of this bar (bars 301 and 303) do not include any of these signs. It contributes to a suggestion of a dynamic and expressive course of the entire section – initially, the two-bar phrases are shaped distinctly () and with energy (accents); however, they gradually subside with subsequent repetitions to disappear, together with the entrance of rallentando in bar 301. One can also take into account the fact that bar 299 is the first one on a new page of A, which could have provoked an accidental omission of the sign.
Nevertheless, the image of these bars is clearly different in GE1 (→FE) – only discussed bars 293 and 295 have accents and , while the hairpin in bar 293 does not lead to e2 but further, to the last quaver in the bar. Reduction of the number of signs increases the number of possible interpretations:
- bars 297-300 can be considered a repetition of bars 293-296, and one can deem the markings given for the first time to be valid also in the repetition. It leads to a very similar performance to the one written in A;
- the absence of the markings can also be interpreted as a suggestion of a different performance already in bars 297-300, as a result of which the transition to dolcissimo in bar 305 is spread over more time.
The extension of the sign in bar 293 may also be meaningful – crescendo, encompassing the entire bar, results in an emphasis of the altered chord d
-g-b-f, being the basis of bar 294, which perfectly fits into the course of harmonic tensions of the entire four-bar phrase.
In this situation, we consider the version of GE1 (→FE), which could be a result of Chopin's proofreading (anyway, it was not questioned by him either at the time of proofreading GE1, FE1 and FE2 or in the pupils' copy FED), to be equal to the version of A. However, in the main text we give the latter, since the version of GE1 (→FE) could have been created by accident as an inaccurate reproduction of the notation of A.
The versions of EE and GE2 are certainly arbitrary. EE probably made attempts to unify the notation of all these bars, yet it was performed inaccurately – the accents were given only in bars 293, 295 i 297, whereas the hairpin still in bars 299 and 303 (omission of the sign in bar 301 probably stems from lack of space resulting from the poco rall. indication). The range of the signs was not unified, giving longer signs in bars 293, 295 and 299, and shorter in bars 297 and 303.
The version of GE2 corresponds to the notation of A, as far as the number and type of signs is concerned, however, all three signs were given a greater range than in A, modelled after bar 293 in GE1. In addition, accents in the L.H. were added, which, in the light of deletions of A in bar 294, 296 and 298, cannot correspond to Chopin's intention.
Compare the passage in the sources »
category imprint: Differences between sources
issues: EE revisions, Scope of dynamic hairpins, GE revisions, Authentic corrections of GE
notation: Articulation, Accents, Hairpins
