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Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

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Slurs

b. 141

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur to b1 in A, literal reading

Slur to end of bar in FE (→GE,EE)
..

In the available photograph of A, the slur reaches only b1, which seems to emphasise the meaning of the voice separated by the additional crotchet stems. As it may be an inaccuracy of notation or even an effect related merely to the quality of the photo, not exactly the best (cf. the slur in b. 138 that is certainly supposed to reach the end of the bar), in the main text we give the version of FE (→GE,EE).

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category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Inaccurate slurs in A

b. 144-145

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

..

In A one can see that the slurs were being combined; initially, they encompassed one bar each.

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category imprint: Corrections & alterations

issues: Corrections in A

b. 158-159

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur in A & GE

No slur in FE (→EE)
..

The L.H. slur in A is written down quite vaguely; moreover, it partially blends in with the  hairpin, which was most probably the reason why it was overlooked by FE (→EE). GE added the slur, certainly by analogy with the next bars.

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category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , GE revisions

b. 169-170

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Continuous slur in A (→contextual interpretation of FE→GE) & GE1a

Separate slurs in EE
..

In A (→FE,EE), b. 169 ends the line, which resulted in an inaccuracy in the reproduction of the slur – at the end of b. 169 the aforementioned editions suggest that it should be continued, yet in b. 170 a new slur starts from the 1st crotchet (in all of them). In EE and GE1a these bars are in one line, yet each of them interpreted this vague notation differently – EE separated the slurs, while GE1a combined them. We reproduce the inaccurate version of FE and GE in the graphic transcription (version 'transcript'); by contrast, we adopt a continuous slur as the text of these editions (version 'edited text'), in accordance with A.

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category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in FE , Uncertain slur continuation , Errors repeated in GE

b. 178

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

L.H. slurs in A, contextual interpretation

No slurs in FE (→GE,EE)
..

One can understand the engraver of FE (→GE,EE); he did not know how to reproduce the inaccurate slur of A in the 1st half of the bar, going over the R.H. part (in A, the 2nd half of the bar is marked in an abridged manner as a repetition of the first). According to us, although the slur, when interpreted literally, reaches the c1 crotchet in the R.H. part, according to Chopin, it was supposed to encompass the L.H. half-a-bar figure and to be repeated in the 2nd half of the bar.

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category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Inaccurate slurs in A