The articulation of the L.H. in bars 402-407 is irregularly marked in the sources:
- in bars 402-403, dots are only under the f
quavers. However, in subsequent bars, it is the dyads that are marked staccato, and there is no musical reason for them being performed differently here. The absence of dots is probably related to the original layout – the parts of both hands placed on one stave impede writing, and particularly printing, markings between them. Therefore, in the main text we add dots also under the tritones. - In bars 404-406, it is only the dyads that are provided with dots (two overlooked, the first in bar 404 and the second in bar 405, must be oversights). The missing staccato marks on the f quavers are more difficult to explain – Chopin could have assumed that the two previous bars constitute an understandable pattern for the entire section (see also the adjacent note). Anyway, the leaps cannot be performed otherwise than staccato, hence in the main text we provide each subsequent fquaver with a dot.
- In light of the above, entire bar 407, devoid of articulation markings, is to be considered inaccurately written, which is supported by, e.g. the consistent articulation of the figures in the R.H.
However, one has to emphasise that except single, unquestionable oversights in bars 404, 405 and 407, the notation of FE (→EE,GE1→GE2) could have been considered by Chopin to be satisfactory – staccato dots first emphasise the subsequent appearances of the f bass note and then, when the layout allowed for it, the sequence of dyads.
category imprint: Editorial revisions
issues: Inaccuracies in FE
notation: Articulation, Accents, Hairpins
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