mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 12, Prelude in G♯ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Fontana's revisions

b. 1-8

composition: Op. 28 No. 12, Prelude in G♯ minor

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In A (→FC) these bars are numbered from 1 to 8. Those digits were then used to mark b. 41-48 in an abridged manner. Fontana used the first two digits to mark in such a way b. 9-10 too, which resulted in GE omitting the accents and moving the cresc. from b. 10 to b. 11.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: Abbreviated notation of A , Fontana's revisions

b. 21

composition: Op. 28 No. 12, Prelude in G♯ minor

under L.H. part in A

in FC (→GE) & FE (→EE)
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According to us, the position of the  indication under the bottom stave in A does not mean that it refers to the L.H. only. Due to the above reason, in the main text we put it in its usual place, in accordance with the remaining sources.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , FE revisions , Fontana's revisions

b. 27-32

composition: Op. 28 No. 12, Prelude in G♯ minor

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In these bars Chopin would consistently put accidentals in A (→FE) only next to the bottom notes of the L.H. octaves (or not at all, as is the case with the 2nd crotchet in b. 27-28). Moreover, in b. 32 the  lowering c1 to c1 was crossed out in A! In FC Fontana added only 4 naturals concerning c1, while GE and EE contain all necessary accidentals.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Deletions in A , Fontana's revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE

b. 53-56

composition: Op. 28 No. 12, Prelude in G♯ minor

No marks in A (→FE→EE)

4 staccato dots in FC

Dot in bar 53 in GE
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It is difficult to say what Fontana's motivation was when he was providing 4 subsequent L.H. chords with staccato dots, which are absent in A. One of the possibilities is a misinterpretation of the notation of A – in b. 54-55 under the quaver flags one can see the protruding endings of the stems of the chords with typical, small hooks, which are a consequence of the act of writing: the hand moves to the place where the next element of notation will be written, but the pen is detached from the paper too late. The hooks constitute small protrusions that can be regarded as dots from a distance. GE reproduced only the first of those dots.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE , Fontana's revisions