mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 14, Prelude in E♭ minor

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b. 3

composition: Op. 28 No. 14, Prelude in E♭ minor

..

The last R.H. quaver in GE is an erroneous e1 note – the engraver probably applied the pattern from the previous bars, in which the outer notes of the 2nd and 4th triplets are at the same pitch.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE

b. 4

composition: Op. 28 No. 14, Prelude in E♭ minor

..

The 4th L.H. quaver is written in A slightly to low, so as to be reproduced in FE (→EE1) as d (in spite of a distinct e1 in the R.H.). EE2 corrected the error.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Inaccurate note pitch in A , Errors repeated in EE

b. 5

composition: Op. 28 No. 14, Prelude in E♭ minor

c-c1 w A, literal reading (→FE,FC→GE1)

c-c1 in EE, GE2 (→GE3) & FES
..

The missing naturals raising c-c1 to c-c1 are almost certainly Chopin's mistake. It is indicated by the naturals added by Chopin in FES as well as by the cautionary  written in A before c1 in the next bar (eventually crossed out), which suggests that Chopin assumed that it was c that was valid there*.
The naturals were added in EE and GE2 (→GE3).

* A precautionary approach should be taken in the case of a reasoning based on a cautionary accidental – in b. 12 in A we can also observe crossed-out flats before c-c1, although the sound of those notes had already been consolidated at the beginning of b. 10 (Chopin was not always certain which accidentals were included in the key signature).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , EE revisions , GE revisions , Omission of current key accidentals , Deletions in A , Annotations in FES , Last key signature sign

b. 6

composition: Op. 28 No. 14, Prelude in E♭ minor

No accidentals (c-c1) in A (→FE,FC→GE1)

Naturals (c-c1) in EE

Flats (c-c1) in GE2 (→GE3)
..

Before the R.H. penultimate quaver Chopin wrote in A a cautionary  which he crossed out after having checked it was not essential. This proves the intended pitch to be c-c1 here. Therefore, the EE version is arbitrary – the reviser repeated here his amendment from the previous bar where he added (rightly there) naturals rising c-c1 to c-c1. We add cautionary flats in the main text here as GE2 already has done.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: EE revisions , Errors in EE , GE revisions , Cautionary accidentals , Deletions in A

b. 8

composition: Op. 28 No. 14, Prelude in E♭ minor

  in A (→FC→GE)

  in FE (→EE)
..

In A the direction of the 2nd dynamic hairpin is unclear – the mark could be described as a  with an additional, shorter arm, which constitutes an angle typical of  marks. According to us, the length of that additional arm points to its accidental nature, and the mark should be interpreted as diminuendo. This is how it was interpreted by Fontana in FC (→GE). The  hairpin in FE is not so much a consequence of the ambiguity described above as a result of a mistake or a revision, which is suggested by a similar range of marks (in that edition) in this and adjacent bars. 

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Inaccuracies in A