mUltimate Chopin

Op. 11, Concerto in E minor, Mvt III

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Long accents

b. 292-294

composition: Op. 11, Concerto in E minor, Mvt III

Long accents in FE (→GE1→GE2)

Short accents in EE & GE3
..

Both the length of the majority of the accents and their placement, not over the note, but slightly after it (cf. a typical short accent, e.g. in bar 284), indicate the use of long accents by Chopin. However, in EE and GE3, it is difficult to consider the marks to be long in spite of the fact that their asymmetrical placement was preserved.   

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Inaccuracies in GE

b. 328-331

composition: Op. 11, Concerto in E minor, Mvt III

​​​​​​​ in FE (→GE,EE)

Long accents suggested by the editors
..

In the main text, we interpret four  marks in these bars as long accents. Thus, we demonstrate the difference in indications with respect to analogous bars 100-103, in which similar marks are clearly longer and separated with repeated  indications. After all, it is highly likely that different lengths of marks in [A] were not so regular or meaningful, since the Chopinesque  hairpin, unless preceded with a ​​​​​​​ mark, generally also indicates an accent. According to us, Chopin most probably meant both fragments to be performed in the same manner.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Editorial revisions

issues: Long accents

b. 347

composition: Op. 11, Concerto in E minor, Mvt III

Long accent in FE (probable reading→EE)

Short accent in GE1 (→GE2)

​​​​​​​in GE3

​​​​​​​ – our alternative suggestion
..

It is unclear which mark Chopin meant at the beginning of the 2nd half of the bar. In FE, the mark resembles an accent (short or long), yet it cannot be ruled out that it was supposed to be a ​​​​​​​, although certainly not as long as in GE3. A natural performance contains both an accent and diminuendo, which is best conveyed in one mark by a long accent or a slightly different short diminuendo hairpin. A similar problem appears also in bars 390-391.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , GE revisions

b. 369

composition: Op. 11, Concerto in E minor, Mvt III

No marks in FE (→GE,EE)

Long accents suggested by the editors
..

The accents present in three similar bars – bars 361, 363 and 371 – make us consider the absence of respective marks in the discussed bar to be Chopin's oversight. At the same time, the presence of long accents in bars 368 and 371 suggests that Chopin could have envisioned long accents for the R.H. in the entire four-bar section (differently than in bars 360-363).

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Long accents

b. 390-391

composition: Op. 11, Concerto in E minor, Mvt III

 & long accents in FE (probable reading)

  ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​in FE (possible reading→EE,GE1→GE2)

Longer   ​​​​​​​in GE3
..

In FE, the meaning of the short diminuendo hairpin at the beginning of the 2nd half of the bar is unclear. The marks' size resembles long accents, yet they are placed directly under the 3rd semiquaver triplet. Therefore, we consider long accents or ​​​​​​​ to be the most likely interpretations; the latter was adopted both in GE1 (→GE2) and EE. Extending each mark so that they cover a half of the bar is an arbitrary revision of GE3.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Scope of dynamic hairpins , GE revisions