FE - French edition
Maurice Schlesinger, Paris, plate number M.S.1409:
FE1 – First French edition, June 1833,
Four pupil's copies with annotations originating from Chopin:
FED – Camille O'Méara-Dubois copy,
FEH – Caroline Hartmann copy,
FEJ – Ludwika Jędrzejewicz copy,
FES – Jane Stirling copy.
Pupil's copy without annotations in this movement:
FEFo – Adèle Forest copy.
GE - German edition
Filiation of the sources
Additional sources
MFrorch – a manuscript of Auguste Franchomme that contains a piano reduction of the orchestral part of the 2nd and 3rd movements of the Concerto (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris). It was most probably developed on the basis of lost, original handwritten sources of the orchestral part, mainly on the basis of parts and perhaps also the score.
p. 1, bars 1-30 p. 2, bars 31-80 p. 3, bars 81-126
MFrw – a manuscript of Auguste Franchomme that contains a piano reduction of the parts of wind instruments of the 2nd and 3rd movements of the Concerto (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris) developed – as MFrorch – probably on the basis of lost, original parts or score. It contains a few guidelines on instrumentation.
p. 1, title page p. 2, bars 1-78 p. 3, bars 79-126
MFr = MFrorch and MFrw. The image of the score that emerges from both Franchomme's manuscripts differs from the score collated from the parts of the first French edition in many details, which proves that changes were performed in the process of development of that edition.
Principles behind the main text of
the Concerto in E minor, Op. 11, Mvt II
We take FE as a basis, since it is the only undoubtedly authentic source. We take into account the Chopinesque annotations in FED, FES as well as the annotations in FEH whose graphological features and substance likely point to Chopin's hand (the limitation applies particularly to fingering).
We order inconsistent slurring and other articulation markings on the basis of patent analogies and knowledge about Chopin's habits, which is documented by sources in other compositions, and typical distortions of first editions in this respect. In order not to overload the text, we do not use brackets in patent situations. We leave source versions wherever a differentiation may correspond to Chopin's intentions.
We seek to preserve the differentiation between long and short accents, so typical of Chopin. The missing autograph and visible inaccuracies of first editions do not always allow for a precise reproduction of the composer's intention (this applies also to assigning accents to the right or left hand).