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Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major

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Pedalling

b. 1-28

composition: Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major

 signs before 6th semiquaver in A

 at end of bar in FC (→GE) & FE (→EE)
..

The placement of the  asterisks in A is questionable. The marks were being entered rather hastily, while the evaluation of their intended correlation with the time course of music is hampered due to the erroneous placement of the L.H. quaver rests with respect to the R.H. semiquavers – Chopin would enter rests more or less in the middle of the 2nd half of each bar. It leads to such situations as, e.g. in b. 3 and 15, in which the  occurs before the L.H. rest (i.e. in the 1st half of the bar, actually), but under the 5th semiquaver in the R.H. Apart from a few exceptional situations, which we discuss separately (b. 13-14 and 29-32), one can state the following:

  • All  occur under the 5th semiquaver or later, whereby the majority – 15 out of 26 – concern the 6th semiquaver. Therefore, the differences are insignificant and are almost certainly accidental inaccuracies.
  • The only place where Chopin deemed it necessary to correct the already written mark – in b. 23 – concerns the  written at the end of the bar, after the 6th semiquaver; consequently, it was moved under the 5th semiquaver. According to us, Chopin most probably wanted to avoid the  combination, which most often indicates a syncopated pedal change.

In the remaining sources the pedalling is – except for a few minor inaccuracies – fully unified, with an  asterisk under the 6th semiquaver of each bar. It is generally compliant with the notation suggested by us; however, it can suggest the aforementioned continuous pedalling with changes under the bars, contrary to the intention of Chopin.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: Inaccuracies in A

b. 13-14

composition: Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major

 before 4th semiquaver in A, literal reading

 under 6th semiquaver in FC (→GE) & FE (→EE)

 before 6th semiquaver suggested by the editors
..

In these bars the  asterisks are written closer to the beginning of the bar than in the remaining ones (cf. the note on b. 2-28) – the marks are placed at the end of the 1st half of the bar both with respect to the L.H. and the R.H. parts. It is striking that such a position of the  marks was not reproduced either in FC (→GE) or in FE (→EE). It suggests that at this point of the manuscript both the copyist and the engraver were already convinced of the accidental nature of even the more distinct differences in the position of the  marks. Taking into account the homogeneous texture of the Prelude and the close correlation of pedalling with the sound of the principal one-bar figure, we assume that such an explicit divergence from the pedalling markings of the remaining bars is highly unlikely. Due to this reason, in the main text we give pedalling markings analogous to the ones used by Chopin in the remaining bars, considering the actual notation of A an acceptable variant, although probably unintended by Chopin. 

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Inaccuracies in FC , Inaccuracies in A

b. 23

composition: Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major

..

Chopin deleted the  asterisk in A, written initially at the end of the bar (after the 6th semiquaver), and moved it more or less under the 5th semiquaver.

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Deletions in A

b. 29-32

composition: Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major

 under 4th semiquaver in A (→FC→GE)

 under 6th semiquaver in FE (→EE)

 before 6th semiquaver, our alternative suggestion
..

The fact that the  marks are placed earlier in these bars may be related to a slightly different structure of the figuration and the closing nature of music, and hence could have been intended by Chopin. Due to this reason, differently than in b. 13-14, we keep them in the main text, although, according to us, one cannot completely rule out imprecise notation also in this place. 

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccuracies in FE

b. 34

composition: Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major

No  in A (→FC,FE)

in GE & EE
..

In the main text we keep the pedalling notation without the final  mark, quite frequent in Chopin's pieces (cf., e.g. the Nocturne in D Major, Op. 27 No. 2, b. 74-77). The marks added in GE and EE cannot be authentic. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , GE revisions