A - Autograph
| Date: | 22 I 1839 |
| Title: | 24 Préludes |
| Dedication: | Son ami J. C. Kessler |
Autograph fair-copy of all 24 Preludes, sent from Majorca on January 22, 1839 to Julian Fontana for copying. A served as the basis for the first French edition. Many deletions and corrections together with a considerable number of various errors and inaccuracies represent the work devoted by Chopin to A but also the effort the completion of such a large manuscript demanded from the ailing composer. A more detailed description of A as a whole – see Prelude in C no. 1.
Among the corrections visible in the Prelude in A
major, the following are noteworthy:
- Hesitation as to the time signature, which was initially written down as
. - Dynamic hairpins having been crossed out in b. 19-25.
- Corrections to pedal markings, e.g. shorter pedal in b. 20, longer in b. 50 and 54.
- Revised density and arrangement of accompaniment chords, e.g. in b. 39, 44 or 49.
The most frequent defects of A are overlooked accidentals, particularly in b. 43-54. The vast majority of them do not hamper the interpretation of the text, although the missing 
raising f1 to f
1 in b. 19 may suggest wrong text.
| Original in: | Biblioteka Narodowa, Warszawa |
| Shelf-mark: | Mus. 93 |
