mUltimate Chopin

Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : FE revisions

b. 230

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

..

In A Chopin overlooked the  to the bottom note of the 1st L.H. octave (F). The accidental was added by FE (→GE,EE). In the R.H. part A includes a cautionary accidental only to e1. In the main text we also add naturals to c1 and c2; they were also added by GE and, gradually, by EE – to c1 in EE2 (→EE3), only to c2 in EE3.

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

issues: EE revisions , Accidentals in different octaves , Cautionary accidentals , FE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 231

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

..

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. 233

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

..

The  to the top note of the 1st sixth (f3), overlooked by A, was added by FE (→GE,EE). In the main text we add a cautionary  to a2.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Accidentals in different octaves , FE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 233

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

..

In A (→FE) this bar is at the end of a line; therefore, it should be marked that the clef is going to change to the bass one. A did not do it; however, a corresponding mark was added by FE.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information

issues: FE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 243

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

b with  in A (→FE→EE,GE)

b in GE1a

b without  suggested by the editors
..

The version of GE1a is most probably a mistake by the engraver, although one cannot completely exclude a revision – the cautionary  to b, present in the remaining sources, is not indispensable here and could have been considered erroneous. The engraver or reviser of GE1a was similarly overly zealous in, e.g. b. 232.
In A there is no  raising e1 to e1 in this chord. It is almost certainly a mistake – cf. e1 in b. 240-241 – corrected by FE (→GE,EE). In the main text we omit the cautionary  to b, more justified in the original layout, in which the first 5 quavers in the previous bar – to b – are written down on the bottom stave.

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

issues: Errors in GE , Cautionary accidentals , Authentic corrections of FE , FE revisions