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Separate slurs in A, contextual interpretation |
The slurs of A between the bars are inconsistent – the ending of the slur in b. 25 (at the end of the line) very clearly suggests continuation, which is, however, not confirmed by the slur in b. 26. Both Fontana in FC and the engraver of FE considered the slur at the end of b. 25 to be reliable. According to us, although such an interpretation is absolutely justified, one can also find a number of arguments in favour of dividing the slurs:
- Very inaccurately, flamboyantly written slurs are often to be found in Chopin's autographs, e.g. the slur in b. 26-27;
- b. 21-25 constitute a perfectly complete whole:
– melodic – descent from the f
2 minim, through the d2 crotchet, to the b1 minim,
– rhythmic – two two-and-a-half segments (Chopin separated them with a mark entered into FED),
– harmonic – the whole fragment is framed with a B-f-d1 chord, and the closure of the harmonic course is emphasized by a cadence introducing that chord in b. 25; - the last two bars of the Prelude do not close the preceding phrase; they complement the entire piece, which is proven by:
– the clearly lowered register of the L.H.,
– the final, octave bass motif,
– the f1-d1 motif, which echoes the initial section of the preceding phrase (from f2 in b. 21 to d2 at the beginning of b. 23), which underlines its autonomous nature.
category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness
issues: Inaccurate slurs in A, Uncertain slur continuation
notation: Slurs
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