mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major

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Issues : Inaccuracies in A

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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. 21

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

Dashes after cresc. & stretto in A (→FE→EE)

Dashes after cresc. in FC (→GE)

No dashes – our alternative suggestion
..

Taking into consideration the fact that the melodic climax of the phrase that begins in b. 9 occurs in b. 21, one can ponder whether Chopin did not lead the dashes marking the range of cresc. and stretto one bar too far. The possible mistake could have been caused by the layout – in A b. 21 closes the line, which suggests an end of a certain section or process. On the available recordings of the Prelude, the vast majority of pianists do not continue either crescendo or stretto in b. 21. In the main text we leave the version of A (→FE→EE), since it is irrefutable, as far as the sources are concerned; moreover, according to us, stylistic criteria concerning performance indications, even supported by statistically prevailing performance practice, do not authorize us to directly intervene in the source text.  

category imprint: Source & stylistic information

issues: Inaccuracies in A

b. 34

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

E in A (literal reading→FE→EE) 

No E in A (contextual interpretation→FC→GE)
..

The E note in the last bar of the Prelude must be a mistake. It stems from an inaccurate notation of A, in which the intersection point between the stem of the L.H. chord and the 1st ledger line looks like a note. In addition, three bottom ties concerning the passage in b. 33 are written at the pitches of C, E and G, which is a mistake confirmed by the presence of E in b. 34. In the main text we give the version of FC (→GE), undoubtedly intended by Chopin and correctly unravelled by Fontana.

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

issues: Errors in FE , Uncertain notes on ledger lines , Inaccuracies in A