mUltimate Chopin

Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : GE revisions

b. 532-533

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

Slur to e3 in A & GE

No slur in FC

Slur to d3 in FE (→EE)
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The missing slur in FC must be an oversight, corrected in GE. The shorter slur of FE (→EE) is probably also a mistake.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , GE revisions , Errors of FC

b. 533

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

..

GE2 (→GE3) added a cautionary  before e3.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions

b. 535-536

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

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GE2 (→GE3) added cautionary flats before E-e in b. 535 and G-g in b. 536. We also give the latter pair of flats in the main text.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: GE revisions

b. 536

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

No  in A (→FC→GE, →FE→EE)

in bar 539 in GE2

in bar 537 in GE3

[] suggested by the editors
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The sources lack an authentic pedal release mark of the pedal from b. 536. The  marks added in different places in GE2 and GE3 must be arbitrary. In the main text we suggest that the pedal is held throughout the entire four-bar section, based on one chord, until the end of crescendo, which is natural in this context.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: GE revisions , No pedal release mark

b. 540-543

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

3 slurs in A (→FE)

No slurs in FC (→GE1→GE2)

4 slurs in EE & GE3
..

The missing slur in A (→FE) in b. 540-541 is almost certainly an oversight of Chopin. The next four slurs, written in A, illustrate the difficulties in interpreting handwritten slurs, since each of them manifests a defect (a gap or a shortening), resulting from interruption in the flow of ink. The copyist overlooked 3 out of those slurs (in b. 541-542 at the end of the line of the manuscript), which was completed in GE3. EE unified the slurs: the overlooked slur in b. 540-541 was added and the excessively short R.H. slur in b. 541-542 was prolonged.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccurate slurs in A , GE revisions , Errors of FC