Issues : Inaccuracies in A
b. 1-28
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composition: Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major
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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:
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 |
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b. 13-14
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composition: Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major
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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 |
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b. 21
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composition: Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major
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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 |
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b. 34
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composition: Op. 28 No. 1, Prelude in C major
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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 |