Op. 22, Andante spianato

  b. 73-75

		5 short accents in FE & EE2 (literal reading) & GE2 (→GE3)
		Short accents in FE, contextual interpretation
		5 long accents in GE1, literal reading
		5 long accents in GE1, contextual interpretation
		4 short accents in EE1

It is the assignment of some accents to particular elements of chords that is questionable. Chopin would sometimes write accents between the notes of a chord, which was often ignored by the engravers, since it is poorly legible in print. Moving a mark over or under the stave, they did not always manage to guess the composer's intention correctly, as it seems, so in some situations in the main text we move the marks correspondingly:

• we move the accents in b. 68, 80 and 92 over the stave, since there are no doubts that they concern the top voice – cf. b. 69 and analog.;
• the second accent in b. 73 is placed in the sources over f² of the top voice, and in analogous b. 85 under a¹ of the bottom voice. The latter seems to be correct – a¹ is accented also in b. 75, which suggests that Chopin wanted to emphasise the sound of the long notes, constituting a subtle harmonic background;
• the accent in b. 74 is placed under a tied note (a¹); we move it under d², which is accented in the next, analogous bar. In turn, the accent in b. 86 was assigned to the L.H., which is also probably an inaccuracy. It is also there that we place the mark under d²;
• in a similar situation in b. 89 we move the accent over the minim, which in this context is only a graphical and ideal change.

Due to a possible presence of long accents in b. 67 and 70 in FE, we interpret the remaining marks in this section as short accents. In GE1 we reproduce all accents just like in the opening section of Andante, as long ones. This version may be considered an equivalent variant – cf. b. 67-72. EE and GE2 (→GE3) include both here and in the entire Semplice short accents only. The missing bottom accent in b. 75 in EE1 is probably a revision, withdrawn in EE2.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents

notation: Articulation, Accents, Hairpins

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