mUltimate Chopin

Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Errors in FE

b. 20

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

Grace notes A-B and A-B in GE1 & EE2

Grace notes A-B and A-B in FE & GE2

Grace notes A-B and A-B in EE1
..

Out of the three source versions of the double grace notes present both before the 3rd trill and after it, it is only one that is correct – A-B before and A-B after. It results from a comparison of this bar with four repetitions thereof in b. 46, 72, 279 and 305:

  • this is the only version appearing – in b. 46 – in both editions based directly on the manuscripts, hence GE1 and FE1;
  • in GE1 this version is in all those places;
  • no musical reasons support the introduction of different versions of such details in the course of the Polonaise;
  • the different versions of FE can be explained by mistakes of the copyist or of the engraver.

In the discussed bar the missing  in GE2 is an oversight of the engraver, while the  instead of a  in EE1 – most probably a mistake, rectified in EE2.

category imprint: Differences between sources

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

b. 26

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

Staccato dots in GE

No staccato dots in FE (→EE)
..

The missing staccato dots at the end of the bar in FE (→EE) are supposedly an oversight of the copyist or of the engraver.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE

b. 29

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

Dotted quaver & demisemiquaver in GE

Quaver & semiquaver in FE (→EE)
..

We give the rhythm of the 1st crotchet in the bar after the rhythmically correct version of GE, conveying almost certainly the text of [A]. FE1 contains an erroneous rhythm missing one demisemiquaver –  (the scheme preserves the alignment of the R.H. part with respect to the L.H. part). According to us, it is most probably an unfinished notation of the rhythm we can see in GE. The correction of FE2 and EE was aimed at removing the insufficiency of the values and was performed by the revisers. This is also the version we adopt as the text of FE1, since it seems that this is how (on the basis of the notes' rhythmic values) this place would be interpreted by the majority of the readers. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , FE revisions

b. 29-30

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

Slur in GE

No slur in FE (→EE)
..

The missing slur in FE is almost certainly an oversight of the copyist or of the engraver, repeated in EE. In the main text we follow GE.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE

b. 31

composition: Op. 44, Polonaise in F♯ minor

..

FE1 overlooked a quaver flag to the 2nd R.H. octave, f-f1. The mistake was repeated in EE1, and also omitted were the dots prolonging the e-e1 octave. Despite the errors, the correct rhythm results univocally from the alignment of both octaves in relation to the L.H. part. All mistakes were corrected in FE2 and EE2 (→EE3).

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

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