In GE, in the entire Polonaise, a 
mark with a wavy line indicating that an entire rhythmic value of the trilled note should be filled with the trill was used only once, in b. 34. However, it does not mean that the remaining trills are to be shorter – a mark without a wavy line generally bears the same meaning, particularly when the ending of the trill is written down. In FE trills are marked in three ways:
- the first trill in b. 10 and the trill in b. 303 are provided with longer wavy lines, filling the entire crotchet;
- the second trill in b. 10 is devoid of a wavy line, which could suggest that it should be a mordent, since Chopin would sometimes mark mordents in this way (in some less carefully written autographs, it is difficult to differentiate between those marks, e.g. in the Waltz in A minor, Op. 34 No. 2, b. 43). marks without a wavy line are also in b. 52, 60, 78, 285 and 305, whereby in b. 60 and 305 the wavy lines were most probably overlooked (cf. analogous bars), whereas in FE in b. 52, 78 and 285 we can see , while in GE – mordents (
); - the trill in b. 12 and all the remaining ones (in total 26 trills) are written down as (trill with a short wavy line resembling a mordent mark). The majority of them include a written-out ending, which proves that this form of notation is tantamount to a with a wavy line filling an entire rhythmic value (after all, due to the very dense notation of FE, in the majority of the situations the described short wavy lines still fill an entire rhythmic value of the trilled note).
The above observations lead to the conclusion that Chopin most probably meant a notation in the form of a with a wavy line filling an entire rhythmic value, while the remaining versions of notation are a result of carelessness of the engravers or of Chopin himself. Therefore, we give this version of notation in the main text in all places except the 3rd beat of b. 10 ( only) and b. 26 and analog. ().
category imprint: Differences between sources
notation: Ornaments
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