mUltimate Chopin

Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : GE revisions

b. 225-227

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

..

In A (→FE), Chopin overlooked the sharps raising f3 to f3 in b. 225 and 227. The accidentals were added by EE, while GE repeated both accidentals before these sixths,  and .

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE

b. 228-229

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

..

The chromatic notation of A is inaccurate in a peculiar way – Chopin overlooked the  to the bottom note of the 1st octave in b. 228 (B1) and the accidentals to the bottom notes of the sixths on the 4th quaver in both bars (a2 and f2, respectively). It is also noteworthy that there is a cautionary  to f2, but not a quaver earlier to f1. FE added only a  to B1.
GE and EE added the remaining necessary accidentals to the version of FE, while GE also added cautionary naturals to f1 and f3. The former was also added by EE2 (→EE3), which results in a version adopted to the main text.
See also the notes in the next bar.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , FE revisions , Last key signature sign , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in FE

b. 232

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

a2-f3 in A (→FE→EE,GE1→GE2→GE3→GE4)

a2-f3 in GE1a
..

The version of GE1a with an a2-f3 sixth resulted from a routine revision based on the idea that diminished or augmented octaves generally come from oversights or mistakes.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions

b. 245-246

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

2 separate slurs in A

Continuous slur in FE (→EE)

3 separate slurs in GE
..

In A, the slurs between these bars were being corrected – according to us, Chopin divided the initial continuous slur, which is indicated by the endings marking the division of the slur (the endings are clearly bolder, hence more important, final). However, the part of the initial slur that was supposed to be deleted was not eventually removed, hence FE (→EE) understood this correction the other way around (it is also likely that the correction was not there yet when FE was being engraved – see the description of FE). In the main text we give the slurs separated by Chopin. The versions of GE and GE1a, with the slur divided before the last sextuplet and after it, most probably resulted from mistakes or arbitrary revisions.
We discuss the issue of the additional slurs encompassing the sextuplets separately – see the previous note.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Errors in FE , Corrections in A , Errors resulting from corrections , Errors in GE , GE revisions

b. 245

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

2 sextuplet slurs in A (→FE→EE)

No additional sex­tuplet slurs in GE, our alternative suggestion

1 additional slur in GE1a
..

In the main text we reproduce the additional slurs over the sextuplets, consistently present in A (→FE,EE).
Justification for our alternative suggestion without separate sextuplet slurs – see b. 242-244. The fact that these slurs are partially or completely missing from GE and GE1a is most probably due to mistakes or arbitrary revisions.
The issue concerning the divisions of the top slur are discussed in the next note.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Errors in GE , GE revisions