mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 24, Prelude in D minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Errors of FC

b. 27-28

composition: Op. 28 No. 24, Prelude in D minor

Slurs in A (literal reading→FE→EE)

Slurs in FC (→GE)

Slurs in FED, possible interpretation

Slur suggested by the editors
..

The slurring of A in b. 26-27 is ambiguous – the slur in b. 26 (ending the line), led over the notes, certainly suggests that it should be continued, which is, however, not confirmed by the beginning of b. 27, in which only the initial slur is finished (it was crossed out in b. 26), under the notes. The fact that the ending of the bottom slur was not crossed out and that the top one was not continued proves that Chopin did not control the slurs in b. 27 after having introduced the corrections into b. 26. According to us, the aim of those changes was to combine the new slur in b. 26 with a slur running further, until the end of the phrase in b. 31, in accordance with the unequivocal slurring of an analogous phrase in b. 8-13. Therefore, in the main text we suggest one slur over b. 26-31. It seems that such an interpretation is confirmed by the entry in FED – the mark over the 2nd half of b. 27 may indicate that the slur should be prolonged, i.e. it should start earlier, from the tied dotted b1 quaver (consequently, we obtain a notation equivalent to a continuous slur).
In FE (→EE) the slurs of A were interpreted in the simplest manner possible (yet making sense), which can be considered an acceptable variant. In turn, the slurring of FC (→GE), clearly contrary to A, cannot be authentic.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Annotations in teaching copies , Annotations in FED , Inaccurate slurs in A , Errors of FC , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 31

composition: Op. 28 No. 24, Prelude in D minor

F in A (→FE→EE)

D in FC (→GE)
..

The absence of visible corrections in FC proves Fontana's mistake. Had Chopin wanted to repeat in this bar the figures from the preceding one, he would have certainly marked it in an abridged manner with a •/• mark. According to us, the mistake is rather a result of copying the version of the preceding bar than a typical Terzverschreibung error, since the main condition for such a mistake is not met: the notes surrounded by a few parallel lines do not share a graphical resemblance – F is below the stave, whereas D under a ledger line, added and short (see, however, b. 72).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Terzverschreibung error , Errors of FC

b. 32

composition: Op. 28 No. 24, Prelude in D minor

Accent on quaver g in A (→FE→EE)

Small quaver g in FC (→GE)
..

The difference in the size of the noteheads between the 1st note of the bar and the following ones is too insignificant in FC to consider it meaningful, which is why in GE the 1st note was not distinguished in terms of size. The copyist also overlooked the accent related to it.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors of FC

b. 35

composition: Op. 28 No. 24, Prelude in D minor

Long accent in A (→FE)

No mark in FC (→GE)

Short accent in EE
..

The missing accent in FC (→GE) must be a result of an oversight of the copyist. The short accent in EE is a typical revision of that edition, in which the majority of long accents were interpreted as diminuendo markings or short accents.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , EE inaccuracies , Errors of FC

b. 41-42

composition: Op. 28 No. 24, Prelude in D minor

    in A (→FE→EE) & contextual interpretation of FC 

   in GE
..

Fontana omitted the  mark at the beginning of b. 41 in FC, leaving a lonely  asterisk at the end of b. 42. GE completed the pedalling; however, in the face of varied L.H. figures in these bars, a separate pedal was added in each of them. The crossing-out of the  mark at the end of b. 41, visible in A, proves that Chopin consciously combined them with pedal. Crossings-out of those marks in similar situations are also present at the end of b. 9, 20 and 54.

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

issues: Corrections in A , GE revisions , Deletions in A , Errors of FC