Due to the fact that b. 9-12 were added in the last phase of composing the Prelude and due to the abridged notation of those bars in A, it is uncertain how many ritenutos Chopin planned and where exactly. There are three possibilities, all are present in the sources:
- ritenuto only in b. 7-8, where it was written in the manuscripts. We can observe this version in FE (→EE1).
- ritenuto only in b. 11-12, like in GE.
- ritenuto in both places, which is in EE2; it compiles the versions of FE and GE.
According to us, musically speaking, it is the ritenuto in b. 11-12 that is most natural, where, along with crescendo, it leads to the final fermata. We suggest this version (based on the assumption that Chopin did not fully adjust the notation of the Prelude to the new formal concept) in the main text.
category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources
issues: EE revisions, GE revisions, Inaccuracies in CGS
notation: Verbal indications