mUltimate Chopin

Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Errors in FE

b. 141-173

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

Dots & wedge in A

Wedge in bar 141 in FC, possible reading

Dot in bar 141 in FC (different reading→GE1)

Dot & wedge in FE (→EE)

3 dots in GE2

2 dots in GE2

4 wedges suggested by the editors

4 dots, our alternative suggestion
..

It is unclear whether the staccato markings with which Chopin provided the R.H. chords in b. 141, 149, 165 and 173 are to be interpreted as wedges or dots. The mark in b. 165 must be a wedge, whereas those in b. 141 and 173 – dots (in b. 149 the mark can be interpreted either as a wedge or a dot); however, it seems unlikely that Chopin would have wanted to differentiate between those marks within the theme. In the main text we suggest wedges due to the predominance of wedges in a similar situation in b. 9, 17, 33 and 41, where we also discuss the analogous places in the entire Scherzo. All discrepancies in the remaining sources are of an accidental nature; in GE they were combined with unifying procedures.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

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

b. 142

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

..

FE has erroneously c as the last L.H. note.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE

b. 154

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

Staccato dot in A & GE

No mark in FC & FE (→EE)
..

The second octave in this bar is provided in A with a staccato dot (due to smeared ink the mark became distorted, yet, according to us, there is no doubt that the person who wrote it meant a dot). That dot, however, was not reproduced in any of the sources based on A, neither in FC nor in FE (→EE). The reason could have been an oversight or an omission due to the inability to recognize the shape of the mark. GE added a dot most probably by analogy with b. 22 and 46. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

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

b. 154

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

 in A (→FC) & GE2 (→GE3)

No marking in FE (→EE)

in GE1
..

The missing  is most probably an oversight of the engraver of FE. The  marking featured here in GE1 must also be a mistake, which was corrected in GE2 (→GE3).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Errors in GE , GE revisions , fz – f

b. 195

composition: Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

Chromatic scale in A (→FC→GE, →FE) & EE2 (→EE3)

Diatonic scale in EE1
..

The version of EE1 repeats the mistake of FE, which was corrected in the last phase of proofreading in FE. In EE2 (→EE3) the correct text was introduced probably on the basis of comparison with analogous b. 63 and 646.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Errors in FE , Authentic corrections of FE , Errors repeated in EE