mUltimate Chopin

Op. 21, Concerto in F minor, Mvt III

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Authentic corrections of GE

b. 54

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

..

A has an additional note, E, in the last crotchet in the L.H. It is almost certainly a mistake of the person writing certain fragments of Tutti in bold (see the characterization of A). Interestingly, the note is absent in the editions, although there are no traces of it having been deleted in GE1. It could mean that at the time when A served as base text for GE1, the fragments in bold type and the mistake were absent (it is not a conclusive argument, since the engraver could have simply confused the bars, printing the octave from bar 53).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Foreign hand additions in manuscripts , Errors of A , Authentic corrections of GE

b. 57-59

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

Slur & dot in A

Dot & slurs in GE1

Dot & slurs in FE

Slurs in EE

Dots in GE2

Slurs & dots suggested by the editors
..

In the main text, over the pair of chords in bars 57-58 we give the articulation markings from A – a slur and a staccato dot. Just like in bars 54-55, we also suggest adding them in analogous bars 58-59 (and also in the L.H. – see bars 49-59). In GE1 (→FE), the staccato dot was placed – most probably erroneously – over the first and not the second chord of the pair in bars 57-58, whereas in EE it was overlooked. Moreover, the slur over the pair of chords was repeated in GE1 also in bars 58-59, which is, however, probably a result of an erroneous interpretation of the tie of c2. In FE (→EE), both slurs – in bars 57-58 and 58-59 – were moved under the chords, combining the g1-a1 sounds. GE2 arbitrarily repeated in these bars the markings from bars 53-55.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: GE revisions , Authentic corrections of GE

b. 65

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

..

A does not have an octave sign, which is a patent mistake, probably caused by distraction following from the transition into a new page (the bar is the last on the page). The mistake was rectified – perhaps at Chopin's request – already in GE1 (→FE→EE, →GE2).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors of A , Authentic corrections of GE

b. 78-79

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

 i  in A

> &  in GE1 & EE

 &  in FE

 &  in GE2

Our alternative suggestion – 
..

In the main text we give dynamic markings of A, which are unquestionable, as far as sources and music are concerned. In this context, the markings of GE1 (→FE →EE) – two subsequent  signs – are illogical to such an extent that one could suspect a mistake. In fact, taking into account the fact that  in bar 79 is poorly visible in A, it seems to be highly likely that  in this place resulted from an erroneous interpretation of A (the shape of the sign in A is one of the numerous arguments for Chopin's haste, increasing as he was writing A). In turn,  added at the beginning of bar 78 may be interpreted as an attempt to rectify the mistake from bar 79 – Chopin may have wanted to move  to bar 78, where it would not collide so strikingly with its original, and perhaps the only, dynamic concept, written in A. It would be an example of unfinished proofreading, in which a new sign was added without having deleted the old one. We give the version, perhaps intended by Chopin, as an alternative suggestion.
We consider the sign visible in A at the beginning of bar 78 – same as in bar 70 – to be a long accent. In this case, it was reproduced in GE1 as a short accent, whereas in GE2 – as a short . It is unclear how the sign appeared in EE, being absent in FE. The accent was most probably overlooked in FE, whereas in EE it was added by analogy with bar 70 – the hairpin is longer there, but the reviser could have been impelled to shorten it by the absence of a note on the 3rd beat of the bar. A strong argument for such an explanation is the revision of EE in bar 70, going in an opposite direction, since it added  drawn from here.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Errors in FE , Errors in GE , GE revisions , Authentic corrections of GE , Inaccuracies in A , Partial corrections

b. 96

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

No sign in A

 in GE (→FE→EE)

Our alternative suggestion

Our variant suggestion
..

The  sign, overlooked in A, could have been added in GE (→FE→EE) by Chopin. However, it is uncertain, and it seems to be possible that Chopin, in the descending part of the passage, could have been thinking of the pedalling he wrote in bar 88. Therefore, in the main text we give two pedalling proposals to choose from – an analogous to bar 88 in square brackets and the one added in GE1, in brackets.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Authentic corrections of GE