mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

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b. 35

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

..

In FCI the first 2 R.H. quavers, apart from the d1-g1 tritones, include c2 and b1 too. The first of them seems to be inaccurately written, hence it cannot be excluded that it should be interpreted as b1, which would be a counterpart of the melodic line in b. 10 and 65. It cannot be resolved on the basis of the photocopy available to us, hence we give c2, in accordance with the interpretation of that manuscript by other editors, e.g. Paul Badura-Skoda (Peters, E. P. 13178) or Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger, Peters, No. 7532).

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Main-line changes

b. 35-36

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

Slur from 2nd quaver in A

No slur in FC (→GE)

Slur from first quaver in FE

Continued slur in EE
..

The slur of A begins from the 2nd quaver, which we give in the main text. In FE and EE the slur starts earlier (in FE from the 1st quaver, while EE continue the slur from the previous line), which we deem inaccurate. In FC (→GE) the slur was overlooked. As far as the ending of the slur is concerned, since in the entire Prelude it is slurs/tenutos that prevail in similar situations – see the note to b. 4-5 – to the main text we adopt such an interpretation, compliant with FE (→EE).

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , EE inaccuracies , Errors of FC , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 37

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

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The crossing-out of the D-d octave at the beginning of the bar, visible in A, suggests that moving the bass line in b. 37-40 an octave lower (with respect to the version of FCI) was an idea born in the process of writing A or fresh enough for Chopin to commit a mistake in the first of the lowered octaves. In A we can see a crossed-out  before the first d2 note in the R.H., which is an example of Chopin's uncertainty as to the key signature.

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Deletions in A , Bass register changes , Last key signature sign

b. 37-42

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

No markings in A (→FE1,FC→GE)

Pedalling in FE2 (→EE)
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The pedal markings added to FE2, probably by Fontana, are a repetition of the authentic pedal markings in analogous b. 5-10 (omission of b. 36 is most probably an oversight). Chopin would often omit pedal markings in repeating fragments in which he had already indicated them the first time, e.g. in b. 11-17, hence we do not include them in the main text.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: FE revisions

b. 38

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

..

In A (→FE) the top R.H. voice crotchets are devoid of dots. It must be Chopin's oversight – cf. analogous b. 6 and 14. Dots are in FCI as well as in FC (→GE) and EE.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors of A , Fontana's revisions , Errors repeated in FE