mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 9, Prelude in E major

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Inaccuracies in A

b. 6-11

composition: Op. 28 No. 9, Prelude in E major

..

As was the case in the Prelude No. 8 in F Minor, Chopin assumed that the middle notes of the triplets did not require an accidental if a respective accidental had been written before a top-voice note placed an octave higher. In A (→FC→FE) and CGS there is not a single out of 8 necessary accidentals –  before c and d in b. 6, g in b. 7, c in b. 9-10, d in b. 10-11 and a  before d in b. 11. The remaining editions added the majority of accidentals; however, none of them features a fully correct text:

  • GE1 added 6 accidentals – the  before c in b. 10 and the  before d in b. 11 were overlooked;
  • GE2 added to them only a  in b. 11;
  • EE1 added 5 accidentals – the  before d in b. 6 and 10 and the  before d in b. 11 were overlooked;
  • EE2 added to them only  before d in b. 6 and 10.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE

b. 10

composition: Op. 28 No. 9, Prelude in E major

in A

in FC (→GE)

No sign in FE (→EE) & CGS
..

The arms of the  hairpin in A are of a different length. In the main text we interpret it on the basis of the bottom, shorter arm, while FC (→GE) took into account rather the top one. The absence of the mark in FE (→EE) is most probably an oversight.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Scope of dynamic hairpins , Inaccuracies in A

b. 11

composition: Op. 28 No. 9, Prelude in E major

 in A, contextual interpretation

No sign in FC (→GE), FE (→EE) & CGS
..

Like in the previous two bars, we assume the bottom arm of the  hairpin in A to be reliable. The mark is absent in all the remaining sources, which is almost certainly a result of oversights:

  • A few overlooked elements prove that Fontana was distracted at the time of writing the last line of FC – in addition to , it is also the L.H. slur and dashes marking the range of crescendo that are missing.
  • While working on the last line, the engraver of FE probably omitted the stage of adding dynamic markings, since the  hairpin is neither in b. 10 nor in b. 11.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Scope of dynamic hairpins , Errors of FC , Inaccuracies in A

b. 11

composition: Op. 28 No. 9, Prelude in E major

..

In A (→FE) and CGS, there are no accidentals in the L.H. part in the entire bar. Chopin's patent inaccuracy was corrected by Fontana in FC (→GE), who added naturals lowering G1-G to G1-G and D1-D to D1-D. An identical addition was introduced in EE. The accidentals were also 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 , Omission of current key accidentals , Fontana's revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE