The missing autograph of Andante hampers the differentiation between the two types of horizontal accents used by Chopin: short or long. In FE, the only source based on [A], the length of the vast majority of the marks is in between an unequivocal long accent and a common, short accent, so a responsible selection of one of them requires taking into account the musical context too.
We make the following assumptions determining the way of interpreting the notation of FE:
- in the outer, semiquaver sections of the piece, it is particularly the difference between the short accents in b. 52, 55-56 and 59-62 and the majority of the remaining ones, which we reproduce as long, that we consider to be significant. In addition, we include the difference between the accents in b. 19-20 (short-long) and 42-43 (long-short);
- in the Semplice section we consider the vast majority of the accents to be short due to the slightly longer marks in b. 67 and 70, which, according to us, indicate the presence of two types of accents in [A] in this section.
The main text is a contextual interpretation of the notation of FE:
- in the Semplice section we give long accents also in b. 79, 82, 91 and 94 (as well as in 111) on the basis of a comparison with b. 67 and 70;
- we suggest adding accents in b. 77 and 90 due to the authentic accents in analogous b. 89 and 78;
- we give short accents in b. 99-100 and 103-106 by analogy with b. 55-56 and 59-62.
There are also doubts concerning the interpretation of the accents of GE1 – the quite wide-open marks look like short accents, yet a comparison with the clearly shorter marks in b. 52 demonstrates the conviction of the engraver of GE1 that he was dealing with longer or, at least, bigger accents (this approach seems to have changed in the Polonaise – see the description of GE1 therein). GE2 (→GE3) unified the accents as short (except for the longer mark in b. 19).
In EE the majority of the marks of accenting nature was reproduced as short accents and some – in b. 52 and 55-62 and analog. – as vertical accents.
Compare the passage in the sources »
category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources
issues: Long accents, Inaccuracies in GE, EE inaccuracies
notation: Articulation, Accents, Hairpins
