mUltimate Chopin

Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

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Articulation, Accents, Hairpins

b. 58-63

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Long accents on 1st note in A (→FE→EE)

Accents/diminuendos in GE
..

FE (→EE) quite accurately reproduced the four undoubtedly long accents in b. 58-59 and 62-63 – the marks intersect the stem of the 1st note in each of these bars, which suggests their accentuating nature and the fact that they are related to the given note. By contrast, GE moved the marks, which makes them concern the 2nd note in the bar.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Inaccuracies in GE

b. 80

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Staccato in A

No mark in FE (→GE,EE)
..

The missing staccato dot under the C crotchet is most probably an oversight by the engraver of FE (→GE,EE).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE

b. 88

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Staccato in A

No mark in FE (→GE,EE)
..

The missing staccato dot is most probably an oversight by the engraver of FE (→GE,EE), perhaps provoked by an erroneous interpretation of the slurs – see the note at the end of b. 87.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE

b. 99-101

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

No marks in A

Staccato dots in FE (→GE,EE)

Dots & slurs suggested by the editors
..

From the middle of b. 99 on, Chopin stopped marking the articulation of the accompanying crotchets in A, which, however, most probably does not mean that they should be performed differently. In this situation, the staccato dots added in the stage of proofreading FE (→GE,EE) may be considered an indication to change the articulation from portato to staccato. According to us, however, proofreading was either simplified or inaccurately carried out, and the aim was to indicate that the performance should not change further on. Due to the above reason, in the main text we suggest adding slurs too.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Authentic corrections of FE

b. 102-104

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

2  & 4  in A

3  in FE (→GE,EE)
..

Out of the six  and  marks present in A, the editions reproduced only three, two of them in b. 103 inaccurately – in A, the marks in b. 102 are clearly longer than in the next ones. In our transcription, we convey it by interpreting the marks in b. 103-104 as long accents, since in spite of their significant size, they concern only the g1-g2 minims (in b. 102 they reach as far as the f1-f2 minims). Anyways, all these markings dynamically and expressively emphasise the g1-g2 minims; it is possible to vary the manner in which it will be achieved, which we, however, leave to the discretion of the performer.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Long accents , Errors in FE , Inaccuracies in FE