mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 5, Prelude in D major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in A

b. 1-5

composition: Op. 28 No. 5, Prelude in D major

Pedalling in A, contextual interpretation

Pedalling in FC

Pedalling in FE (→EE)

Pedalling in GE
..

The differences between the sources result from mistakes and inaccuracies of both the copyist and the engravers of FE and GE. However, the issues concerning the decipherment and the interpretation of A were caused by, e.g. a dense notation, without spaces between the staves – actually, in A there is no space for pedalling markings, added later, which resulted in them being placed inaccurately at times. The interpretation of A given in the main text corrects the position of the  marks in b. 1-2 and 5 – according to us, in A they are placed before the notes they concern, i.e. A (cf. the markings in analogous figures in b. 3-4) or D. We also move the  marks, which precede them, accordingly. See also b. 17 and 18-20.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Errors in GE , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in FC , Inaccuracies in A

b. 14-16

composition: Op. 28 No. 5, Prelude in D major

Pedalling in A (probable interpretation→FC)

Pedalling in FE

Pedalling in GE

Pedalling in EE
..

At times, the pedalling of A is difficult to interpret here due to a dense notation and crossings-out. The  mark can be particularly troublesome, since it encompasses two notes sometimes. In the main text we give a version that is compatible with the notation and that includes the harmonic changes. This is how it was reproduced by Fontana in FC; however, neither FE nor GE repeated that version. The notation of EE is also noteworthy: a  mark at the beginning of the bar is followed by two  marks, one in the middle and the other at the end of the bar. The above situation can be observed three times.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in FE , Errors in EE , Inaccuracies in A

b. 17

composition: Op. 28 No. 5, Prelude in D major

 in A, contextual interpretation

  in A (literal reading→FC,FE→EE)

 in GE
..

It is uncertain whether the  mark concerns the third or fourth semiquaver in A – the mark begins under the third and ends under the fifth semiquaver. A comparison with analog. b. 1 suggests the 3rd semiquaver, from which the broken A9 chord starts, and this is the version we suggest in the main text. The version of the remaining sources – except for GE, in which the preceding  mark was placed after the 3rd semiquaver – can be considered an equal variant.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccuracies in A

b. 18-20

composition: Op. 28 No. 5, Prelude in D major

Pedalling in A

Pedalling in FC

Pedalling in FE (→EE)

Pedalling in GE
..

In A the pedalling of these bars, seemingly inconsistent and differing from analog. b. 2-4, could be considered inaccurate, e.g. due to having been written in haste. However, it turns out that if we take into account the R.H. part, the pedalling markings fall almost exactly in the same place as the first time. It seems highly unlikely that it could have been an accident; therefore, Chopin apparently marked pedal changes in this vibrating dominant ninth chord to separate the sections with minor ninth (b1) from the sections with major ninth (b1). This is how we interpret it in the main text. In the remaining sources, the  marks were rather adjusted to the L.H. notes; moreover, GE arbitrarily moved the last change of pedal to the beginning of b. 20.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A