mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 14, Prelude in E♭ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Annotations in FES

b. 1

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

Allegro in A (→FC→GE, →FE→EE)

Largo in FES
..

Largo written in FES instead of Allegro, which was crossed out, is most probably a teaching correction – it indicates the way the piece should be practised, and not a change of concept of the Prelude. Placing the Prelude in E Minor provided with Largo between the Preludes in F Major and D Major (Lento and Sostenuto, respectively) seems to be unlikely due to the structure of the entire cycle.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , Annotations in FES , Authentic post-publication changes and variants

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