mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description
Select: 
Category
All
Graphic ambiguousness
Interpretations within context
Differences between sources
Editorial revisions
Corrections & alterations
Source & stylistic information
Notation
All
Pitch
Rhythm
Slurs
Articulation, Accents, Hairpins
Verbal indications
Pedalling
Fingering
Ornaments
Shorthand & other
Importance
All
Important
Main
Undo Clear

b. 53

composition: Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

 in FED, probable reading

in FED, possible reading

No indication in remaining sources

Our variant suggestion
..

Chopin entered a dynamic marking into FED. It is most probably  although it could have been written down more than once (corrected). Alternatively, one can see  in it, which, however, seems less likely, both graphically and musically.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , Annotations in FED

b. 53

composition: Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

Long accent in FCI

No mark in A (→FC→GE, →FE→EE)
..

The long accent, present only in FCI, may be, according to us, considered a variant complementing the final editing of the Prelude's performance marks. When accented accordingly, the note can be heard despite the crescendo of the sequence of chords in the next bar, leading to  in b. 55. Cf., e.g. long accents in b. 57, 59 and 61.

category imprint: Differences between sources

b. 54-56

composition: Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

..

In the main text we add cautionary accidentals before e2 in b. 54 and B1-B, g2 and a2 in b. 55. The accidental in b. 54 was already added in GE and – probably on the basis thereof – in EE2.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: EE revisions , GE revisions

b. 54-56

composition: Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

..

In these bars the version of FCI clearly deviates from the final one – different harmonic rhythm in b. 54 and different shape of the melody in b. 55-56. We can also observe small changes to the arrangement of chords and enharmonic notation.

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

issues: Accompaniment changes , Enharmonic corrections , Main-line changes

b. 54

composition: Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

 under 3rd quaver in A (→FC→GE)

 under 2nd quaver in FE (→EE)
..

Chopin prolonged pedal in this place, which is proven by  having been crossed out at the end of b. 53 (which we can see in A). The composer's intention was distorted in FE (→EE) by placing the mark a quaver earlier. A similar shift of the  mark (for the pedal to encompass the first octave of the chromatic bass sequence) can also be seen in A in b. 50.

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

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Corrections in A , Deletions in A