mUltimate Chopin

Op. 50 No. 2, Mazurka in A♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Authentic corrections of GE

b. 1-6

composition: Op. 50 No. 2, Mazurka in A♭ major

No slurs in A1 (→FE→EE)

Slurs in GE
..

Five slurs under the bass voice are an improvement introduced by Chopin in [A2] or in the proofreading of GE1. Chopin also added pedalling, probably at the same time.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Authentic corrections of GE

b. 11-15

composition: Op. 50 No. 2, Mazurka in A♭ major

No ornaments in A1 (→FE→EE)

Mordents in GE
..

Chopin could have added the mordents in b. 11 and 15 already in [A2] or only just in the proofreading of GE1 (→GE2). The same applies to b. 46 and 50 and 86 and 90.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Authentic corrections of GE

b. 59-60

composition: Op. 50 No. 2, Mazurka in A♭ major

Slur to g1 in A1 (→FE→EE)

Slur to f1 in GE
..

In the main text we give the longer slur introduced in the proofreading of GE1: one can see traces of the removed ending of the shorter slur, to g1 in b. 59. According to us, that change is to be related to two other ones: the change of rhythm in b. 59 and the removal of d1 at the beginning of b. 60.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Authentic corrections of GE

b. 60

composition: Op. 50 No. 2, Mazurka in A♭ major

Third in A1 (→FE→EE)

f1 in GE
..

The version of GE may be a result of Chopin's proofreading, which seems to be indicated by the visible traces of correction of the ending of the slur in b. 59-60. Anyway, it is an indisputable improvement, related to the change of the rhythm in b. 59 and to the aforementioned correction of the slur. According to us, Chopin meant the correction to concern only the transition between b. 59 and 60, since the second time (after b. 67), an omission of d1, although likely, seems to be much less justified. Admittedly, it was not specified in an authentic notation of the Mazurka, yet, in order to mark a differentiation of the version of b. 60, Chopin would have had to introduce a 2nd volta at the end of that eight-bar section, which would have been very troublesome or even impossible in the dense layout of GE; in the case of [A2], he could have also been afraid of too far-reaching changes that could have influenced the legibility of the manuscript. Therefore, in the main text we suggest an addition performed accordingly.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions; Corrections & alterations

issues: Authentic corrections of GE

b. 60

composition: Op. 50 No. 2, Mazurka in A♭ major

No marking in A1 (→FE→EE)

in GE
..

The  marking is the first of a number of the indications, the majority of which concern dynamics, added by Chopin in [A2] or in the proofreading of GE.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Authentic corrections of GE