mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Fontana's revisions

b. 5

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

..

In A there is no accidental before the 1st note in the 4th group of demisemiquavers, which should therefore be interpreted as a1. A comparison with analogous b. 1 proves Chopin's mistake; it is also the  before the next a2 that confirms a1 as the intended pitch of that note. The natural was added in FC and FE (→EE); however, it is absent in GE, which is probably an oversight of the engraver.
We omit the cautionary  before a2 in the main text.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: Errors in GE , Cautionary accidentals , Errors of A , FE revisions , Fontana's revisions

b. 6-13

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

..

As was the case in b. 3-4, in A Chopin generally omits accidentals next to the bass quavers if the accidentals have been written an octave higher next to one of the preceding semiquavers. In the discussed bars it concerns f in b. 6, c1 and b in b. 7, g and g in b. 8, f in b. 9 and 11, B and G in b. 11, B in b. 12 and G in b. 13. That notation was literally repeated in FE; in FC almost without changes (only one  added next to B in b. 11). The remaining editions added the majority of the necessary accidentals – in EE1 all except for the  next to G in b. 13, while in GE1 all except for the naturals next to f in b. 6 and G in b. 11 (in GE2 the former was added). It is only EE2 that includes a fully correct notation.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

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

b. 10

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

No slur in A

Slur in FC (→GE) & FE (→EE)
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The missing slur over the 1st L.H. figure must be Chopin's mistake. The slur was added in both sources based on A, perhaps not even having noticed its absence.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors of A , FE revisions , Fontana's revisions

b. 14-21

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

..

As was the case in b. 3-4, in A Chopin generally omits accidentals next to the bass quavers if the accidentals have been written an octave higher next to one of the preceding semiquavers. In the discussed bars, it concerns G in b. 14, B in b. 15-18, f in b. 20 and g in b. 21. That notation was literally repeated in FE; FC repeated it almost without changes (the only addition was a  next to B in b. 16). EE1 added the majority of the necessary accidentals – all except for the  of G in b. 14, while the remaining editions contain a fully correct notation.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

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

b. 24-26

composition: Op. 28 No. 8, Prelude in F♯ minor

dim. - - in bar 24 in A (→FE→EE)

dim. - - - in bars 24-26 in FC

No indication in GE
..

In the main text we reproduce the range of cresc. marked with dashes in accordance with the notation of A (→FE→EE). Dashes running almost until the end of b. 26 in FC was an arbitrary decision of Fontana or perhaps a mistake – the dashes in FC end more or less in a place where they would have ended if they had been written in A a line lower. The omission of the entire indication in GE is a patent mistake.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE , Fontana's revisions