mUltimate Chopin

Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

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b. 46

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Long accents in A

Short accents in FE (→GE,EE)
..

It was typical of the first editions to shorten Chopinesque long accents (which is, of course, inaccurate).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Inaccuracies in FE

b. 46

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur in A

No slur in FE (→GE,EE)
..

The missing slur in FE (→GE,EE) may be an oversight of the engraver of FE1.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE

b. 46-47

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur to b. 47 in A

Slur in b. 46 in FE (→GE,EE)
..

The shorter slur of FE (→GE,EE) resulted from the manner of adjusting slurs to major rhythmic entities or beams.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE

b. 47-48

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur over 2nd half of bar in A (literal reading→FE→GE,EE)

Slur to b. 48 in A, contextual interpretation

Slur suggested by the editors
..

According to us, the slur of A is doubly inaccurate:

  • in the authentic layout, Chopin was unable to encompass the 1st half of the bar with a slur, hence he used a practically equivalent, simplified notation;
  • The ending of the slur clearly suggests that it should be continued (at the end of the line of the text), yet there is no ending in the next bar, which is a frequent occurrence in Chopinesque manuscripts. The fact that the literal interpretation of this notation adopted in the editions is wrong is proven by the same situation in the R.H. part, in which, however, the unequivocal slur in analogous b. 45-46 allows us to settle the doubt in favour of a slur led to the beginning of b. 48.

In the main text, we suggest a reconstruction of Chopin's alleged intention based on the above conditions.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Uncertain slur continuation

b. 47-48

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur in b. 47 in A (literal reading→FE→GE,EE)

Slur to b. 48 in A, contextual interpretation
..

In A, the slur in b. 47, at the end of the line, clearly suggests that it should be continued, yet there is no ending thereof in b. 48. The fact that the version of b. 48 is erroneous (incomplete) is confirmed by a comparison with an analogous situation in b. 45-46, in which the slur undoubtedly reaches the 1st crotchet in b. 46. In FE (→GE,EE), it is the version of b. 47 that was considered inaccurate.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccurate slurs in A , Uncertain slur continuation