GE1
Main text
GE - German edition
GE1 - First German edition
GE2 - Second German edition
FE - French edition
FE1 - First French edition
FE2 - Corrected impression of FE1
FES - Stirling copy
EE - English edition
EE1 - First English edition
EE2 - Corrected impression of EE1
EE3 - Revised impression of EE2
compare
  b. 14-16

Slurs separated before 2nd semiquaver in GE

Slurs separated before 1st semiquaver in FE (→EE)

Our suggestion

Without access to the manuscripts, it is difficult to say what Chopin's concept concerning the phrase marks in these bars was and how the phrase marks should be interpreted. At the same time, it seems highly unlikely that the differences would define authentic phrasing variants here – they rather reflect the different interpretations of [A] of the copyist and engraver of FE, on the one hand, and of the engraver of GE, on the other hand. The phrase marks divided before the 2nd semiquaver in the bar, as was performed in GE, may suggest that it should be included in the main melodic line, which does not seem to correspond to the natural phrasing resulting from the structure of the figuration, hence it also does not correspond to Chopin's vision. The division of the phrase marks before the 1st semiquaver (FE) seems to be more likely; however, such a solution is not fully compliant with the natural course of the melody either. The phrase marks in the manuscripts could have seemed inaccurate, e.g. they were overlapping, which gave rise to divergent interpretations. Therefore, in the main text we suggest a solution combining the most certain, according to us, elements of both source versions.

Compare the passage in the sources »

category imprint: Differences between sources

notation: Slurs

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