mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

A - Autograph

Autograph

Autograph fair-copy of all 24 Preludes, intended as the basis for the first French edition.

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FC - Fontana's copy

Fontana's copy

Copy of A made by Julian Fontana, intended as the basis for the first German edition.

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FE - French edition

French edition

Ad. Catelin et Cie, Paris, plate number Ade. C. (560) et Cie.
FE1 ‒ first French edition, August 1839,
FE2 – second impression of FE1, (August⇒) 1839.
Brandus et Cie, Paris, plate number B. et Cie 4594.:
FE3 = FE2 with updated plate number, December 1846.

Teaching copy with Chopin’s annotations:
FED ‒ copy of FE3 belonging to Camille O'Méara-Dubois.
Three pupil's copies, in this Prelude without annotations:
FEJ ‒ copy of FE2 belonging to Ludwika Jędrzejewicz,
FES ‒ copy of FE2 belonging to Jane Stirling,
FESch ‒ copy of FE2 belonging to Maria Scherbatoff.

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GE - German edition

German edition

Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig, plate number 6088.
GE1‒ First German edition, May 1840,
GE2 ‒ Later (around 1868), revised impression of GE1,
GE3 – Corrected impression of GE2 (1869-1871), in this Prelude without changes.

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EE - English edition

English edition

Wessel & Co, London, plate number W & Co. No. 3098.
EE1 ‒ first English edition, January 1840,
EE1a ‒ corrected impression of EE1, ca 1843-1844.
EE2 ‒ revised impression of EE1a, ca 1856-1860.

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Filiation of the sources

                          

Principles behind the main text
of the Preludes Op. 28

We accept A as the basis. In some places, where one might suspect Chopin to have had made a mistake, we compare A with separate manuscripts of the particular Preludes. We have taken into consideration the annotations on pupils’ copies reflecting Chopin's teaching remarks.