mUltimate Chopin

Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

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b. 166

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Pedalling in A

No markings in FE (→GE,EE)
..

The missing pedalling in FE (→GE,EE) must be a mistake by the engraver of FE; most probably, he did not notice the  mark in A, inserted quite far from the text.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE

b. 166-167

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Long accents in A

Short accents in FE (→GE,EE)
..

We consider both accents of A, although differing in shape, to be long accents due to their size (cf., e.g. the clearly smaller mark in b. 173). FE reproduced the accents as short (GE and EE did it in an even more pronounced manner).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Inaccuracies in FE

b. 167-169

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

..

The deletions visible in A allow us to try to reconstruct the earlier version provided with a different rhythm: . In the final version, Chopin used this rhythmic variant in b. 115, where it works well with the change of the register that occurs in the theme's melody.

category imprint: Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Corrections in A , Deletions in A

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.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

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

b. 170

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

b2-b2 & e2-c3 in A (→FE) & GE3 (→GE4)

b2 & e2-b2-c3 in GE1 (→GE1a,GE2) & EE
..

In A (→FE), the b2-b2 augmented unison is written in such a way that the stem reaches only the left notehead (b2). In A, the notation is clear, since the stem is placed to the right of the notehead, hence it falls between both notes, and the gap between the right note and the next e2-c3 sixth is evident. However, FE, although the notation is practically the same, placed the stem (in accordance with the rule) to the left of the b2 notehead, while b2 is so close to the sixth that both GE1 (→GE1a,GE2) and EE interpreted these notes as a chord: e2-b2-c3. It was only GE3 (→GE4) that guessed how the version of FE is to be understood. See also b. 171.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

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