mUltimate Chopin

Op. 50 No. 1, Mazurka in G major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Authentic corrections of FE

b. 2

composition: Op. 50 No. 1, Mazurka in G major

No rest in Afrag, A1 & GE

Rest in FE (→EE)
..

It is difficult to say whether the L.H. top voice rest was added in FE by Chopin or by the engraver/reviser. As it does not appear in any of the eight further repetitions of this bar and is absent in the remaining sources, we do not include it in the main text.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Authentic corrections of FE , FE revisions

b. 4

composition: Op. 50 No. 1, Mazurka in G major

No arpeggio signs in Afrag & FE1 (→EE)

Arpeggio sign at first chord in A1

Arpeggio sign at 2nd chord in FE2

Both arpeggio signs in GE
..

The arpeggio mark written in A1 before the first chord was overlooked in FE (→EE), yet an arpeggio mark was added before the 2nd chord in the proofreading of FE2. In the main text we include both arpeggios, in accordance with GE.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 7-9

composition: Op. 50 No. 1, Mazurka in G major

Continued slur to end of bar 8 in Afrag

New slur to end of bar 8 in A1, literal reading

2 slurs in A1, contextual interpretation

New slur to bar 9 in FE1

Continued slur to bar 9 in GE

No slur in FE2 & EE
..

To the main text we adopt the version of GE, consistently present also in analogous b. 31-33 and 63-65, which shows that the notation of [A2] was almost certainly like that. We can also see the continuation of the slur over the rest in b. 7 written by Chopin's hand in Afrag, while the fact that the slur was led to b. 9 is confirmed by the slur of A1 in b. 32-33 and possible Chopinesque proofreading of FE1 in b. 8-9 and FE2 in b. 64-65. The version of EE and FE2 is erroneous. See also b. 5-6.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Authentic corrections of FE , Uncertain slur continuation , Tenuto slurs

b. 8-9

composition: Op. 50 No. 1, Mazurka in G major

c1 repeated in Afrag & GE, possible interpretation of FE1 (→EE)

c1 tied in A1 (→contextual interpretation of FE1)

No c1 in FE2
..

It seems that Chopin abandoned the tie of c1 – in analogous b. 32-33 the tie is absent in all the sources, while in GE it is absent in all three analogous places (b. 8-9, 32-33 and 64-65). The absence of the tie in Afrag can be explained twofold (unless it is simply an oversight):

  • as testimony to Chopin's hesitation, if we consider this autograph to be earlier than A1;
  • as confirmation of abandonment of that tie, if it was written at a time when A1 had already been prepared.

In FE1 (→EE) the tie was reproduced erroneously in b. 9 – such mirror images of marks can often be found in Chopin's pieces, e.g. in the Concerto in F Minor, Op. 21, 3rd mov., b. 172-173. The erroneous tie was removed in FE2; however, the correct one was not added – it may be seen as Chopin's proofreading and another argument for abandoning the tie of that note (the issue of presence of the c1 note in FE2 at the beginning of b. 9 – see the next note).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Chopin's hesitations , Authentic corrections of FE , Errors repeated in EE

b. 9

composition: Op. 50 No. 1, Mazurka in G major

..

On the copy of FE2 presented in mUltimate Chopin, the c1 note seems to be removed from the first quaver in b. 9. Unfortunately, the inability to compare it with another copy – the only catalogued one is in the Viennese Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, which does not share the digitised versions of their collection – does not allow us to check whether it is merely a misprint. If the note was actually removed, it could have been:

  • a mistake while removing the tie;
  • a revision – in terms of sound, the version of FE2 without c1 is very close to the version of A1, which holds the note;
  • Chopinesque proofreading performed ad hoc (according to us, least likely).

See the previous note.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Authentic corrections of FE , FE revisions