mUltimate Chopin

Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Authentic corrections of FE

b. 231

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

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In FE (→GE) there is a (cautionary?)  to e3 in the 4th quaver. This unnecessary revision (the accidental is absent in A!) most probably resulted from a misunderstanding or a mistake when correcting another error – in FE one can see here traces of removal of g3 (printed without a , necessary at this pitch). Upon seeing the octave with a  only to the bottom note, the proofreader – perhaps even Chopin – could have instinctively added the other , particularly if he were just adding flats to the L.H. part. Having realised that it is a Terzverschreibung mistake, he marked a change to the pitch of the note, which the engraver implemented by moving the notehead along with the . EE did not include the superfluous accidental.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: EE revisions , Terzverschreibung error , Authentic corrections of FE , FE revisions

b. 231

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

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In A there are no accidentals to the first L.H. octave, while the  lowering a to a is only just before the 2nd crotchet. Chopin's mistake is evidenced by the  before the bottom note of the last octave in this bar, which would be irrational if the 1st octave were supposed to be A-a (naturally, the mistake is also evidenced by the logic of the chromatic bass sequence). The mistake of A was carefully corrected by FE (→GE,EE) – flats were added to the 1st octave and the consequently superfluous accidental to a in the 2nd crotchet was removed.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Omission of current key accidentals , Errors of A , Authentic corrections of FE , Last key signature sign

b. 233

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

No mark in A & GE

Staccato dot in FE (→EE)
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In the available photograph of A, one cannot see the staccato dot over the c-c1 octave. Therefore, Chopin most probably added it while proofreading FE (→EE). The easiest explanation for the absence of the mark in GE is the engraver's oversight (cf. the note in the next bar).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in GE , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 235-237

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

No marks in A

L.H. accents in FE (→EE)

R.H. & L.H. accents in GE
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The accents above the 2nd crotchet in bars 235 and 237 were added while proofreading FE, undoubtedly by Chopin. Assignment of the sign in bar 235 to the R.H. is probably the result of misinterpretation of the notation in FE by the engraver of GE, who believed that this accent, like the neighbouring ones, refers to the R.H. despite its lower position.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 238-239

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

No markings in A

    in FE (→GE,EE)

 in GE1a
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The two-bar pedal must be a Chopinesque hint added in the stage of proofreading FE (→GE,EE). The missing  mark in GE1a is most probably an oversight by the engraver.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Authentic corrections of FE