Due to the lack of preserved manuscripts, we cannot say whether Chopin's notation was unequivocal and consistent – such repeatability in the notation of particular figures seems highly unlikely considering their number. Therefore, the image conveyed by the editions could have resulted from the actions of engravers or revisers, who standardised the notation on the basis of criteria that remain unknown to us, including their personal preferences. Therefore, in the main text we reproduce the version of the principal source, i.e. FE.
According to us, two types of slurring of this characteristic motif do not indicate different performances but emphasise different aspects of a given performance:
- longer slurs – the demisemiquavers should not be separated from the following quaver,
- shorter slurs – the quaver should be provided with a separate impulse.
category imprint: Differences between sources
notation: Slurs
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