Issues : Accompaniment changes

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

b. 13-14

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

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As initially featured c1 as the top note of the even quavers, just like in previous bars. Chopin then changed it to a; however, at the end of b. 14 he left c1 (it was not crossed out), which must be considered an oversight.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Errors resulting from corrections , Accompaniment changes , Omitted correction of an analogous place

b. 18-19

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

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The crossings-out visible in As reveal that the topmost notes of the L.H. part were initially written at the pitch of a, and not f (like in b. 15-16).

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Accompaniment changes

b. 19-21

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

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In As one can see the notation of the initial L.H. part, which was eventually replaced with rests. That notation covers 2 repeat signs of the four-quaver figure from b. 18 in b. 19, the repeat sign of b. 19 in b. 20 and the minim E-A-f chord in the 1st half of b. 21. After expanding the abbreviations, we obtain the following text: (the versions of the chord in the 2nd half of b. 21 – see the note concerning that bar).
The new (final) concept was marked already in As in b. 19 (the repeat sign was crossed out, and a minim rest was added in the 2nd half of the bar) and at the beginning of b. 21 (the minim chord was crossed out). However, the repeat sign in b. 20 indicating a repetition of the previous bar was not crossed out, which is most probably an oversight, natural in a hastily written draft (when interpreted literally, the visible notation indicates a repetition of four quavers from b. 20 in the 1st half of b. 20). 

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Accompaniment changes

b. 21

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

e & B in As

E & B1 in A (→FCGE, →FEEE) & CGS

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The crossings-out visible in As reveal that the bottom voices of the chords in the 2nd half of the bar were changed twice. The initial version, which was crossed out, continued the previous harmonic filling of b. 19-21 (see the note in b. 19):
. Having forgone the accompaniment in the preceding bars, Chopin also crossed out the bottom notes of the crotchet chords, which resulted in a precise gradation of the number of voices: from one in b. 20, through two in the 1st half of b. 21, three and four in the 2nd half, to five and six in b. 22. In the final version, that effect was abandoned in favour of a bass line referring to the quaver figures in b. 18-19, like they refer – also preceded by a rest – to b. 15-16.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Chopin's hesitations , Accompaniment changes