mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 17, Prelude in A♭ major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Fontana's revisions

b. 24-25

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

2  in A

2   in FC (→GE) & FE (→EE)
..

The version of A – without  asterisks in the second halves of the bars – seems to be intended by Chopin, who crossed out the  under the 6th quaver in b. 24. However, one cannot rule out the composer's mistake – the crossing-out means that the  placed analogously to the one in the 1st half of the bar is wrong, since the entire 2nd half is based on one chord (D major). Chopin could have planned to add it somewhere else, probably later, which he, however, did not do due to distraction. Due to the above reason, in the main text we give the pedal markings as supplemented by Fontana both in FC (→GE) and FE (→EE).

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

issues: Deletions in A , FE revisions , Fontana's revisions

b. 33

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

..

In A (→FE) there are only 3 flats before the 1st chord – e2, c2 in the R.H. and a1 in the L.H. In FC and EE1 a  lowering c1 to c1 and a cautionary one before a were added, while in GE and EE2 a cautionary  before e1 was also added.
The necessary  lowering c1 to c1 was added in FED.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , EE revisions , Annotations in FED , Accidentals in different octaves , Cautionary accidentals , Fontana's revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE

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

b. 43-64

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

..

In the manuscripts and in GE, repeating elements – chords, groups of quavers, bars – are written down with the use of various abbreviations.
In FCI b. 60-61 are marked with letters a, b as a repetition of b. 58-59; the groups of quavers in the 2nd half of b. 62 are marked with / signs, while b. 63-64 with •/• as a repetition of b. 62.
In A (→FC) the groups of repeated quavers are written down as dotted crotchets or minims with quaver tremolos; in turn, to mark b. 64 •/• signs were used. Tremolos are to be found in the 2nd halves of b. 43, 47, 57 and 59-61 and in b. 62-63. In FC a tremolo is also in the 2nd half of b. 58.
In GE the •/• signs and some tremolos were expanded. Abridged notation (tremolos) was kept in b. 43, 47 and 62-64.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: Abbreviated notation of A , Fontana's revisions

b. 47-50

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

..

As in the previous four-bar section, accidentals in A (→FE) are written inaccurately – 9 sharps are missing. In FC Fontana added one of them, yet overlooked the  before the middle note of the 2nd L.H. quaver in b. 47. A comparable number of deficiencies are to be found also in FCI. The oversights are obvious, and the majority of the accidentals were supplemented in GE and EE.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Errors of FC , Fontana's revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE