EE3
Main text
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FEJ - Jędrzejewicz copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE2 - Corrected impression of GE1
EE - English edition
EE1 - First English edition
EE2 - Corrected impression of EE2
EE3 - Revised impression of EE2
compare
  b. 112

Slur from beginning of bar in FE (→GE,EE)

Slur from 2nd beat – our alternative suggestion

The slurring of the main part of this theme (bars 112-143 and 264-295) poses an editorial challenge. In a number of places, slurs of FE seem to be inaccurate; however, it is not always clear what should be changed in order to correctly convey the composer's intention. The following are questionable:

  • overlapping slurs – bars 112, 117, 123, 127, 141, 267, 269, 287, 290. In order to correct them, one could combine the slurs or shorten one of them (e.g. bar 112, 123).
  • slurs separating the grace note from the main note – bar 122, 125 and 281;
  • short fragments devoid of slurs – bars 127-128, 132-133, 139, 264, 284-285 and 291.

We consider each case individually, analysing the motivic structure, particularly in terms of rhythm, and comparing analogous and similar places. We do not encounter grace notes separated with a slur in Chopin's autographs, hence we suggest modified slurs in all those places in the main text. In turn, overlapping slurs do occur, although rarely, hence we leave a number of them unchanged. We adopt a similar approach in the case of the places devoid of slurs – we suggest modified slurring only in some cases.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Editorial revisions

notation: Slurs

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Original in: Birmingham, University, Barber Music Library