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Op. 28 No. 4, Prelude in E minor

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b. 4

composition: Op. 28 No. 4, Prelude in E minor

..

In As the  is placed at the pitch of e, and not g, which must be an inaccuracy, which can happen even in the most carefully finished autographs, e.g. in the Etude in E Minor, Op. 10 No. 6, b. 36.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Source & stylistic information

issues: Accidental below/above the note

b. 8

composition: Op. 28 No. 4, Prelude in E minor

Slur to g1 in As

Slur to a1 in remaining sources
..

The slur of As ends – just like the previous one – on the last note of the four-bar section. The shorter slur of A seems to fit the phrasing better, if we take into account the accented g1 syncopation. Therefore, the idea to break the monotone regularity with an accent on g1 (apart from slurs, it is the only performance indication included in As) could have appeared in the final phase of drafting the Prelude, after the slurs, reflecting that regularity, had already been written down.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

b. 9

composition: Op. 28 No. 4, Prelude in E minor

No signs in As & CGS

  in A

  in FC

  in FE (→EE) & GE
..

The arms of the  hairpin in A are of different length; however, in this case it is almost certain that it is the top arm that has to be taken into account – an extension of the bottom arm to the left would make the dots over the L.H. minim blurry. In FC the mark is shorter, and in the editions the range of the mark was adjusted to the group of quavers, which is actually of no significance in this case.
The absence of both marks in CGS is most probably an oversight.
As has no hairpins, and the long accent in the previous bar is the only mark of this type.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Scope of dynamic hairpins , Errors in CGS

b. 9

composition: Op. 28 No. 4, Prelude in E minor

Slur from d2 in As

Slur from a1 in remaining sources
..

On the basis of the available photocopy of As, one cannot conclude whether the slur actually begins only just in the middle of the bar, which is musically unjustified, or whether it was perhaps a temporary ink stoppage that resulted in poor visibility of the initial fragment of the slur. Anyway, the shape of this slur does not exclude such a hypothesis.

category imprint: Differences between sources

b. 10-11

composition: Op. 28 No. 4, Prelude in E minor

Version in As

Rhythm in A (→FE→EE) & CGS

Rhythm in FC (→GE)

Rhythm in FED, possible interpretation
..

The version of As, replaced then by the final edition of those motifs, resulted from corrections itself. Their traces in the form of crossings-out are almost invisible on the available photograph; however, a comparison with similarly looking corrections in b. 18-19 suggests that in both places Chopin began with similar ideas and then changed them in a similar manner.
The change of the long grace note to a short one was an arbitrary decision of Fontana, certainly contrary to the intention of Chopin, which is particularly confirmed by the Chopinesque entry in FED, difficult to interpret as a whole, but in terms of rhythm almost certainly tantamount to the addition in b. 19, which is perfectly clear.

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

issues: Main-line changes , Fontana's revisions