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Op. 28 No. 4, Prelude in E minor

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Slurs

b. 1-23

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

..

As does not include L.H. part slurs, which is understandable in a draft autograph. We do not consider it a variant.

category imprint: Differences between sources

b. 1

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

..

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

b. 3-5

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

Separate slurs in As (bars 4-5)

Continuous slur in A (→FC→GE, →FE→EE)

Separate slurs in CGS (bars 3-4)
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The divided slurs in As are rather an evidence of Chopin's structural thinking at the time of writing down the idea of the Prelude than a performance indication. The broken slur of CGS is an inaccuracy of notation at the transition to a new line.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

b. 8

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

Slur to g1 in As

Slur to a1 in remaining sources
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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

Slur from d2 in As

Slur from a1 in remaining sources
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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