Afrag
Main text
Afrag - Autograph fragment
A1 - Autograph fair-copy
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Second French edition
FED - Dubois copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE2 - Second German edition
EE - English edition
EE1 - First English edition
compare
  b. 87-91

Slurring in A1 (→FEEE)

Slurring in GE

In b. 87-95 there are clear differences in the slurring between A1 and GE. At the same time, each of them shows different phrasing aspects of this section, taking into consideration the harmonic course and the polyphonising movement of the voices:

  • In A1 the subsequent slurs separate:
  1. a four-bar phrase (b. 89-92 and the final tonic at the beginning of b. 93) along with preceding b. 88, in which the harmonic movement, suspended in the previous two bars, continues and seals the definitive return of the G major key with the perfect cadence;
  2. the accompaniment in b. 93-95 devoid of the melodic movement in the soprano,
  3. the final, gradually fading soprano phrase from the 3rd beat of b. 95.
  • The slurring of GE emphasises:
  1. the ending of the preceding 4-bar phrase with a tonic on the strong beat of the bar;
  2. the absence of the melodic movement in the soprano in b. 89-91 (through the absence of a slur);
  3. continuation of that movement on the 3rd beat of b. 91.

Both authentic versions of the slurring are advisable and show various possibilities of how to phrase this fragment and the entire final thought of the Mazurka: see b. 93-95. The version of A1 was well thought out by Chopin, since the manuscript reveals traces of correction, i.e. combining the slurs between b. 88-89 and division of the slur after the 1st crotchet in b. 93. It is one of the reasons we give the version of A1 in the main text: see also the note to b. 74-75.
Cf. b. 48-53.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Differences between sources

notation: Slurs

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