FE1
Main text
A - Autograph
FC - Fontana's copy
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Corrected impression of FE1
FED - Dubois copy
FEJ - Jędrzejewicz Copy
FES - Stirling copy
FESch - Scherbatoff copy
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE2 - Revised impression of GE1
GE3 - Corrected impression of GE2
EE - English edition
EE1 - First English edition
EE1a - Corrected impression of EE1
EE2 - Revised impression of EE1a
compare
  b. 25-26

Continuous slur in A, literal reading (→FCGE, →FEEE)

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 f2 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-dmotif, 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.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A, Uncertain slur continuation

notation: Slurs

Go to the music

.