In the 1st half of the bar, we can see a 
mark in A, to which, however, no 
mark corresponds. At first glance, it seems that Chopin forgot to write a , probably at the beginning of the bar; this is how it was reproduced both in FC (→GE) and FE (→EE). However, to commit such a mistake, Chopin would have had to be writing pedalling starting from the mark, which, assuming an undisturbed marking of pedalling, is completely impossible. Therefore, by writing that mark, the composer would have had to be certain that he cancels an existing mark. Nevertheless, he could not have had the beginning of this bar in mind, since the flamboyantly written asterisk starts already under the g
-b third, where that mark should be; it would be impossible not to notice its absence there. This leads to the following hypothesis: Chopin inserted the discussed asterisk to mark the end of the pedal written in b. 21. Having realized that he placed it too far, he added another one, this time in the right place (the end of b. 22). However, he left the wrong one by inadvertence (he did not cross it out). Taking into account the fact that the vast majority of Chopinesque pedalling markings are meant to combine harmonies that cannot be held with hands, we state that the 1st half of b. 24 actually does not require pedalling, just like the 2nd half of b. 23, where there is, in fact, no pedalling whatsoever. It supports the above hypothesis and prompts us to adopt in the main text the version without pedal in the 1st half of b. 24. The issue of pedalling in the 2nd half of the discussed bar – see the next note.
Compare the passage in the sources »
category imprint: Differences between sources
issues: Errors resulting from corrections, Errors of A, FE revisions, Fontana's revisions
notation: Pedalling
