Op. 31, Scherzo in B♭ minor

A copy of A, prepared by Fontana at a time when it did not contain the latest corrections. It served as Stichvorlage for the first German edition, which is directly proven by the editorial number of GE1 written on the title page and numerous engraving signs performed in pencil, determining the division of the text into pages and great staves. The title page is written by Chopin's hand, who also corrected and completed the musical text of FC, particularly carefully as far as the performance indications are concerned. The addition of a few significant groups of marks not included in A (dynamic indications in b. 65-117 and 197-249, pedalling in b. 65-104 and 197-248) seems to suggest that Chopin did not have access to A, for some reason, while introducing them; however, it is uncertain: see the characterization of A (also as far as the date of FC is concerned).

Apart from the ones mentioned above, Chopin introduced in FC also other changes and additions, e.g. he performed the following:

• specified the pedalling in b. 15-16 and analog.,
• extended the slur in b. 20-22 and 152-154,
• added pedalling in b. 42-43 and analog, 328, 330 and analog.,
• added a  hairpin in b. 49-50 and 57-58 as well as in b. 273-274 and analog. and 756-757 and 760-761,
• added poco ritenuto in b. 63, dolce in b. 82, sempre  in b. 468, cresc. - - - in b. 528-539 and 692-707, sempre con fuoco in b. 544,  in b. 708,
• specified the accents in b. 68 and 76 as well as in b. 332 and 538-540,
• changed a to c¹ on the 2nd and 6th quavers in b. 198 and b² to a² in b. 450.

In a few places Fontana independently corrected minor inaccuracies of A, adding an overlooked octave sign in b. 31-33 and 262, a  in b. 209 (probably), 469 and 471 and 706, a  in b. 445, 477,

FC also contains mistakes, both repeated after A and its own, e.g.:

• missing octave sign in b. 14-17 (it was only the engraver of GE1 that added that indication in pencil),
• missing accents in b. 62-63, 495 and 503, 505, 507, 551,
• missing slurs in b. 95-96 and analog., 119-120, 249-250, 280-281, 361-364, 434-435, 453, 511, 512-513, 532-533, 541-542,
• missing ties of a² in b. 101-102, of the chord in b. 114-115, of e¹ in b. 273-274, of b-d¹ in b. 348-349,
• missing staccato marks in b. 149, 165 and 173, 732 as well as in b. 766 and 768,
• missing  in b. 206,
• missing  hairpin in b. 348-349,
• additional, erroneous  mark in b. 473,
• missing pedalling in b. 540-542,
• missing arpeggios in b. 556.

It is the signs added with a coloured crayon most probably by the reviser of GE1 that are noteworthy. He marked with distinct little crosses, e.g. all places in which the notation of regular rhythmic values (quavers and crotchets) used small notes, i.e. b. 281-284, 307-309, 383-386, 395 and 409-411. One can assume that it saved GE from ignoring the difference in the size of notes, which did happen in FE.

Due to a significant number of performance indications added by Chopin, including a notable group of the ones absent both in A and FE, we consider FC to be the principal source.