mUltimate Chopin

Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Embracing slurs

b. 32-33

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slurs in A, literal reading

Slurs in A, contextual interpretation

Slurs in FE (→GE,EE)
..

In A, the L.H. slurs, written with a flourish, clearly encompass the groups of five repeated chords. In FE (→GE,EE), they begin earlier, which resulted from the routine approach of the engraver of FE, who considered whole-bar slurs to be most likely. The fact that the actual notation of A was interpreted quite liberally is evidenced by the ending of the slur over b. 32, which, in spite of the fact that in A it reaches b. 33, ends on the last crotchet in b. 32 in FE (and rightly so in this case).

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Inaccurate slurs in A , Embracing slurs

b. 37-39

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slurs from 2nd & 5th crotchet in A

Slurs from 1st & 4th crotchet in FE (→GE,EE)
..

In A, the L.H. slurs, although written with a flourish, clearly encompass only the 2nd and 3rd crotchet in each half of the bar. In spite of that, in FE (→GE,EE) the slurs also encompass the 1st crotchet, which expresses the inclination of the engravers to adjust the range of slurs (and dynamic hairpins too) to the rhythmic structures, in this case halves of bars. See also the note to b. 36. 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Embracing slurs

b. 40

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur over 2 crotchets in A

Slur over 2nd half of bar in FE (→GE,EE)
..

As in b. 37-39, FE (→GE,EE) misinterpreted the range of the L.H. slur of A in the 2nd half of the bar (the slur in the 1st half was reproduced correctly).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Embracing slurs

b. 206

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur from 2nd crotchet in A, contextual interpretation

Slur from 1st crotchet in A (incomplete literal reading→FE→GE,EE)
..

In A, there are 2 slurs over the L.H. part – one encompassing almost an entire bar and the other starting clearly on the 2nd crotchet (d-b) and ending after the 3rd crotchet, under the first, longer slur and over an extensive deletion and the final version of the 4th crotchet, written below. FE (→GE,EE) included only the top, long slur, interpreting it as a whole-bar slur. According to us, such an interpretation, although graphically correct, is, however, erroneous, since the top slur encompasses the removed initial version of the five-crotchet sequence of fifths and sixths, the beginning of which was written right after the D1-D octave due to corrections. Therefore, if we are to consider the undeleted notes, the beginning of the slur does fall over the octave; however, to avoid misunderstandings, another slur was added, indicating the intended beginning of the slur with respect to the final version of the sequence of dyads. Consequently, in the main text we give a slur encompassing 5 crotchets, which was Chopin's intention both in the initial and the final version of the sequence of dyads. It is also compliant with the slur over a similar figure in the next bar, which is already less problematic.

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

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Inaccurate slurs in A , Embracing slurs

b. 207-208

composition: Op. 23, Ballade in G minor

Slur to 6th crotchet in A

Slur to bar 208 in FE (→GE,EE)
..

Leading the slur as far as to the next bar is a clear misrepresentation of the notation of A by the engraver of FE (→GE,EE), perhaps influenced by the R.H. slur, which does reach the g1-d2 fifth. In the main text we keep the notation of A, in which the slur is written down with a flourish, yet it does not suggest going beyond the bar line.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Embracing slurs , FE revisions