mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 2, Prelude in A minor

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b. 10

composition: Op. 28 No. 2, Prelude in A minor

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The correction visible in As allows us to decipher the initial rhythm of the 2nd and 3rd R.H. notes – they were two semiquavers.

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

b. 11-13

composition: Op. 28 No. 2, Prelude in A minor

..

In As one can see traces of corrections of the bottom note of the 2nd quaver in the 1st L.H. group in b. 11 and 13 and in the 2nd group in b. 12 (the remaining three groups of quavers are not written out in those bars). Chopin hesitated whether to write it as c or d. According to us, the corrections resulted in d in b. 11-12 and c in b. 13, and this is the notation we give as the text of As. It is worth noting that in both groups in b. 14 c was the first choice, hence it was not a result of corrections. In addition, while preparing a clean draft, Chopin opted for c in all those places.

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Chopin's hesitations

b. 11-12

composition: Op. 28 No. 2, Prelude in A minor

in A

in FC & EE

No sign in FE1

in FE2

in GE

in CGS
..

The corrections and crossings-out visible in A reveal the changes performed both to the range and the position of the  hairpin in this place (As does not contain any dynamic markings). The initial mark, written between the staves, started between the 6th and 7th quavers in b. 10, which was changed by Chopin – he moved the beginning under the last quaver in that bar. Eventually, both versions were crossed out, and a new hairpin was written over the R.H. part, which we give in the main text. Although the new mark begins at the end of b. 10, both FC (→GE) and FE2 (→EE) placed its starting point only in b. 11 – these changes cannot come from Chopin, since he did not directly participate in the publication of the Preludes after having finished A. The longest mark of CGS is most probably an arbitrary interpretation of the hairpin of FE2 by the copyist. 

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Errors in FE , Scope of dynamic hairpins , Corrections in A , Deletions in A , FE revisions , Inaccuracies in FC

b. 12-13

composition: Op. 28 No. 2, Prelude in A minor

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In As one can see crossings-out in the R.H. part. In b. 12 the tied f1 note was probably a semibreve at first, inserted – in accordance with the Chopinesque practice – more or less in the middle of the bar. Chopin then added a minim stem to the note and a rest later in the bar; eventually, he moved the minim to the beginning of the bar.
B. 13 was initially filled with an a1 semibreve, which Chopin then crossed out; however, he did not insert a rest instead of it.

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

b. 12

composition: Op. 28 No. 2, Prelude in A minor

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The notation of As reveals that Chopin initially envisaged c1 as the topmost note already in the 1st half of the bar – the repeat sign, placed after the written-out group of 4 quavers (featuring c1), was crossed out and inserted in front of it; moreover, Chopin added a new bar line before the crossed-out mark (however, the old bar line was not crossed out, as a result of which the space between them creates an impression of an additional bar). 

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Accompaniment changes