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Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

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b. 83-97

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

No L.H. slurs in GE1 & FE (→EE)

L.H. slurs in GE2
..

Adding slurs under the L.H. demisemiquavers (as performed in GE2 in this entire section) is rational – the L.H. part is undoubtedly supposed to be performed with the same articulation as the R.H. one. In such homogeneous texture Chopin would generally leave it to the imagination of the performers, hence we do not include those additions in the main text. In GE2 a similar procedure was applied with respect to the staccato dots – see next note.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions

b. 83-97

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

No L.H. marks in GE1 & FE (→EE)

Staccato dots in GE2
..

As was the case with slurs – see previous note – the staccato dots added in GE2 under the L.H. quavers certainly indicate the articulation as envisioned by Chopin. However, in such contexts Chopin would generally not duplicate the markings.
The missing dot under A on the 2nd beat of b. 83 is most probably the reviser's inadvertence.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions

b. 84-97

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

..

In this entire section (until b. 102) GE include staccato dots over all R.H. quavers and semiquavers written on the bottom stave; this is also the notation we give in the main text. FE and EE contain less dots, which must have resulted from oversights, most probably by the engravers of those editions – FE overlooked dots on the 2nd beat in b. 89 and 91, while EE also those at the beginning of b. 84 and on the 2nd beat of b. 93, 95 and 97.
See also the note in b. 83.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Errors in EE

b. 87-88

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

2 staccato dots in GE

No dots in FE (→EE)
..

As the staccato dots over a1 are present only in these two bars in GE, it is probably a mistake of the engraver, who still did not notice that, starting from b. 87, some quavers were no longer provided with dots. In the main text we give the consistent articulation of FE (→EE).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE

b. 87-97

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

Accents on lower staff in GE

Accents above upper staff in FE (→EE)
..

It is unclear what caused the difference in the placement of the accents between GE and FE (→EE). One could assume that each version might be non-compliant with Chopin's notation:

  • the engraver of GE, upon seeing the accents above the stems of the R.H. octaves, could have moved them to the side of the noteheads, which was quite a frequent, routine procedure (in GE the majority of those accents are placed closer to the R.H. octave);
  • the copyist or engraver of FE, upon seeing the marks on the stave (between the octaves of both hands), could have moved them up to make them more legible.

At the same time, it means that each version of notation may be authentic; if FE were based on a second autograph, then even both. In the main text we give the notation of our principal source, i.e. FE, which is also supported by:

  • the accents of GE in the repetition of this section with an expanded ambitus, placed clearly above the R.H. octaves (in GE accents are only in b. 119-121 there, which, however, does not undermine this argument).
  • the appearance of accents (in b. 87) along with the a-a1 octaves, constituting the top pedal note in this entire section, generally accented by Chopin, cf., e.g. d2 in the Andante spianato, Op. 22, b. 55-62 or c2 in the Polonaise in A major, Op. 53, b. 143-151.

In the main text we place the accents above the top stave, as it was performed in FE.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Placement of markings