mUltimate Chopin

Op. 28 No. 24, Prelude in D minor

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Verbal indications

b. 19-20

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

sempre forte in A (→FC,FE)

sempre forte in b. 19 in GE

sempre  in b. 19 in EE
..

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions

b. 51

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

 in A (contextual interpretation→FC→GE)

 in A (literal reading→FE→EE)
..

The dynamic mark in A is vague. The two partially overlapping  marks, out of which the second is much clearer than the first, can be interpreted twofold:

  • Chopin considered the first mark to be poorly visible; while entering the second one, he wanted to avoid it being possibly overlooked by the interpreters. This is how it was interpreted by Fontana in FC (→GE);
  • the second  was added to change the indication to . This is how it was interpreted by the engraver of FE (→EE).

According to us, it is  that fits better between two crescendos than  –  in b. 50 and cresc. in b. 52-54 – leading from  in b. 46 to  in b. 55, hence this is the version we give in the main text.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in A

b. 59-61

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

cresc. - -, stretto,  in A, literal reading

cresc. - -, stretto,  in FC

cresc., stretto,  in FE (→EE)

cresc. - - , , stretto in GE

cresc. - -, stretto,  in A, context­ual interpretation
..

In A certain verbal indications seem to be inaccurately written here: dashes marking the range of cresc. not reaching the  mark, the stretto indication beginning in the middle of the semiquaver septuplet in spite of it concerning the quaver phrase in b. 61-63 or the culminant  mark placed over the R.H. part, although it almost certainly applies to both hands. Taking into account the above, in the main text we suggest a compromise contextual interpretation of the notation of A. The other variants we consider fully legitimate are: the notation of A (interpreted literally), the version of FC (which can be considered an accurate interpretation of A) and the text of GE (with reservations). The inauthentic changes and inaccuracies in FE (→EE) distort Chopin's intention to a certain extent.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Errors in FE , Inaccuracies in FE , GE revisions , FE revisions , Inaccuracies in FC

b. 61-63

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

Dashes after stretto in A

No dashes in FC (→GE) & FE (→EE)
..

Chopin carefully marked the range of the stretto indication with dashes – at the beginning of b. 64, one can see another dash in A, crossed-out so that the last three accented octaves were not "squished together" anymore. By an unfortunate trick of chance, the dashes were overlooked both by Fontana in FC (→GE) and the engraver of FE (→EE).  

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Errors of FC

b. 66

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

sempre  in A (→FC→GE)

No indication in FE (→EE)
..

The missing indication in FE (→EE) most probably resulted from the engraver's inattention.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE