mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 15, Prelude in D♭ major

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b. 83

composition: Op. 28 No. 15, Prelude in D♭ major

in A (→FE→EE) & GE2 (→GE3)

No sign in FC (→GE1)
..

The missing  hairpin in FC (→GE1) must be a mistake of Fontana, who overlooked a few dynamic markings further on – in b. 84, the  hairpin in b. 85 and the accents in b. 86 and 87. The addition of that mark in GE2 indicates that the text of FE was used at random at the time of revision. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions , Errors of FC

b. 84

composition: Op. 28 No. 15, Prelude in D♭ major

 from 2nd quaver in A (literal reading) & FE2

 from beginning of bar in A (contextual interpretation) & EE

No marking in FC (→GE) & FE1
..

The placement of the  indication is ambiguous in A – the mark is written close to the L.H. part (partially on the bottom stave), after the quaver rest at the beginning of the bar, hence it seems that it concerns the repeated a quavers. However, a more thorough analysis of the notation of A opens an alternative interpretive possibility – in relation to the R.H. part  is written before the first chord, i.e. at the beginning of the bar. Moreover, the indication is preceded by a quite significant crossing-out (probably ), which makes it impossible to write  more to the left. Taking into account the above, in the main text we put  at the beginning of the bar as a general indication, concerning all voices.
The missing indication in FC (→GE) must be an oversight of Fontana, who also overlooked a few dynamic markings in b. 83-87 (see the note in the previous bar). The indication was also overlooked in FE1, yet added in FE2, next to the 2nd quaver in the bar, most probably as a literal interpretation of A. Chopin did not question that version in any of the teaching copies, hence it can be considered an equal variant. Our solution was already introduced in EE, which seems to be a coincidence, since that edition most probably did not have access to A.

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

issues: EE revisions , Errors of FC , Inaccuracies in A

b. 84-85

composition: Op. 28 No. 15, Prelude in D♭ major

..

FED contains synchronization marks in the R.H. part, which indicate that the semibreves are to be performed simultaneously with the minims at the beginning of the bar. The need for such an indication resulted from the placement of those semibreves, repeated after A, i.e. in the middle of the bars – we reproduce that notation in the graphical transcription (version "transcription"). See also the note on b. 87. 

category imprint: Source & stylistic information

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , Annotations in FED , Synchronization markings

b. 85

composition: Op. 28 No. 15, Prelude in D♭ major

in A

No sign in FC (→GE)

in FE (→EE)
..

In the main text we reproduce the  hairpin after A, in which the mark most probably emphasizes the ascending secundal d1-e1 step. In FC (→GE) the hairpin was overlooked, whereas in FE extended (it occupies a half of the bar).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Errors of FC

b. 86

composition: Op. 28 No. 15, Prelude in D♭ major

Long accent in A

No sign in FC (→GE)

 in FE (→EE)
..

The missing accent in FC (→GE) resulted from the copyist's distraction – see the note on b. 83. The mark in FE (→EE), placed at the level of the  hairpin in the preceding bar, resembles a  hairpin, although it is only slightly longer than in A.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Errors of FC