mUltimate Chopin

Op. 27 No 2, Nocturne in D♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Errors in FE

b. 11

composition: Op. 27 No 2, Nocturne in D♭ major

A slur in A & EE3

A shorter slur in GE

No slur in FE (→EE1)
..

In the edited text we give the most natural reading of the slur of A. The slur in GE may be considered as its less natural interpretation. The concordance of the slur added in EE3 with the slur in A is accidental, as the corrections of that edition [EE] had GE as the starting point.

In FE the last two triplets of the R.H. semiquavers were mistakenly placed over the three last notes of the left hand part. FES has signs written into the score that indicate the correct synchronisation of both hands.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Inaccuracies in GE

b. 15

composition: Op. 27 No 2, Nocturne in D♭ major

 before the last but one semiquaver in A (→GE)

Three other naturals in FE

 removed before f2 in EE1

Corrected versions of FEFr and EE3
..

The edited text is the indisputable version of A (→GE); also EE3 and FEFr have the correct text. The version of FE (→EE1) is most probably erroneous – cf. analogous bar 55.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Annotations in FEFr

b. 21

composition: Op. 27 No 2, Nocturne in D♭ major

..

In FE the demisemiquaver beam for the last note of the bar is missing. The error was corrected in EE.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE

b. 27-28

composition: Op. 27 No 2, Nocturne in D♭ major

 in A

GE1 (bar 27 opens a new line)

GE2

FE (→EE)

The editors’ proposal

 
..

None of the versions found in the sources can be treated as fully reflecting Chopin's intention. The notation of bars 26-28 in A – including   in bars 27-28 – seems quite untidy, and in GE1 and FE it is easy to point out at elements reproduced inaccurately or incorrectly. In our proposal we try to combine the least questionable elements of the notation of  A and FE (i.e. sources that can be considered the most authentic) to create a musically justified whole.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Unclear hairpins in A

b. 34

composition: Op. 27 No 2, Nocturne in D♭ major

..

The sources differ with regard to the form of the beam in the 2nd half of the bar. Both the graphic detail differentiating GE from the other sources (the placement of the demisemiquaver beam) and the easy to correct mistake of FE (→EE) – the last sixth having the value of a quaver  – have no bearing on the interpretation of the text.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , GE revisions