b. 196

Faulty rhythm in FE

Reversed dotted rhythm in EE

Crotchets in GE

Other interpretation of rhythm in FE

There are three ways to add the rhythmic value in which the notation of FE is lacking (without changing the number of notes and their pitch):

  • by adding the potentially overlooked extending dots next to the e2 and ecrotchets like it was performed in EE. This interpretation seems to be most natural when reading FE, hence the lack of corrections in pupil's copies may mean that Chopin accepted that version. However, there are doubts as to whether it corresponds to his final intention, since the traces of changes in print visible in FE suggest that the dots were removed in the proofreading. Therefore, it was probably the original version, while the proofreading most probably aimed at introducing one of the versions described below. 
  • by removing the superfluous quaver flags next to b1 and b2. According to us, it is the most likely version due to the calming of the course of music (rallentando in the next bar). In an analogous context in bar 440, equal crotchets are featured.
  • by adding the overlooked quaver rest at the end of the bar. This possibility was not introduced in any of the sources, hence we consider it to be least likely – the difference with respect to the first version seems to be too insignificant to be worth proofreading.

Therefore, in the main text we adopt the second of the described rhythms, introduced already in GE.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions, Errors resulting from corrections, GE revisions, Authentic corrections of FE

notation: Rhythm

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