EE1
Main text
A - Autograph
FC - Fontana's copy
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FED - Dubois copy
FES - Stirling copy
FESf - Schiffmacher copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE2 - Second German edition
GE3 - Corrected impression of GE2
EE - English edition
EE1 - First English edition
EE2 - Revised impression of EE1
EE3 - Corrected impression of EE2
compare
  b. 332

Inverted long accent in A

Long accent in FC

in FE (→EE)

Short accent in GE

It is unclear how Chopin wanted to mark the combination between b. 331 and 332 and 433 and 434. In A both places feature a mark that, according to us, is to be interpreted as a reversed long accent under the a1 crotchet. Such a mark indicates that an ascending secundal progression, crowned with an accent on the second note, should be expressively emphasised, in this case g1-a1 of the R.H. bottom voice. Such marks are quite rare and generally result in misinterpretations: see the Concerto in E minor, Op. 11, II mov., b. 29. The same happened here: both the copyist and the engraver of FE reproduced it as a short  hairpin between the 1st and 2nd beat of the bar, whereas in b. 434 it occupies a space equivalent to half a bar. Upon seeing the misunderstanding, Chopin replaced in b. 332 that mark in FC with a common long accent, which we give in the main text. There is still the question of whether the change was to be valid in both places according to Chopin or whether Chopin, by preserving different markings, wanted to suggest a performance detail or provide the performer with two indications in order to facilitate the understanding of his idea. In the main text we keep there the reversed accent written in A; however, we also suggest a common long accent as an alternative version. In GE the long accent was reproduced as short, like all accents in the C minor theme.  

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Long accents, Authentic corrections of FC

notation: Articulation, Accents, Hairpins

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Original in: University Library, Cambridge