mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 16, Prelude in B♭ minor

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Main text
Main text
A - Autograph
FC - Fontana's copy
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Corrected impression of FE1
FED - Dubois copy
FEJ - Jędrzejewicz Copy
FES - Stirling copy
FESch - Scherbatoff copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE2 - Revised impression of GE1
GE3 - Corrected impression of GE2
EE - English edition
EE1 - First English edition
EE1a - Corrected impression of EE1
EE2 - Revised impression of EE1a
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  b. 23

The fragment of the figuration from the 2nd to the 13th semiquaver is actually a repetition (an octave higher) of a respective fragment of the preceding bar (from the 6th semiquaver). The only difference is the 1st semiquaver in the 3rd group of that bar, f3, in relation to f2 in b. 22. Many editors of subsequent collective editions considered it to be Chopin's mistake and changed f3 to f3. According to us, there are not enough reasons for such a change:

  • in a similar figuration in b. 4-5 the sequence of intervals in b. 4 is completely different than in b. 5, which shows that Chopin did not strive for a strict repetition of the intervals used an octave lower;
  • the initial version of b. 22 contained more differences, since the 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th semiquavers were written half a tone lower;
  • Chopin's possible oversight would concern two accidentals – the  before f3 at the beginning of the 3rd group of semiquavers and the  restoring f3 at the end, which reduces the chances of mistake.

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category imprint: Source & stylistic information

notation: Pitch

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