Starting from these bars, the slurring of the entire middle section differs significantly between AI and FE (→GE,EE), while the latter was also modified in the stage of proofreading FE2, proving that Chopin hesitated until the very end of the text development process. The AI slurring contains many more longer slurs, indicating two- or four-bar phrases and sometimes even longer segments of varied nature:
- bars 33-42 are divided into 2 segments, including 4 and 6 bars, respectively. In each of them, Chopin wrote 3 slurs: two one-bar ones at the beginning of the segment and a longer one, two- or four-bar one, in its final part, which gives a clear picture of the way the entire ten-bar section is structured.
- In bars 43-52, the first four-bar section does not include longer slurs due to register changes in particular bars. The next, six-bar segment (bars 47-52) is already provided with slurs analogous to bars 37-42 with a four-bar slur at the end. The latter is led even further, as a result it also encompasses the next four-bar section (to bar 56).
- Bars 53-66 are encompassed with three slurs, divided every 4 bars – the slur continued from the previous segment runs to bar 56, the next one encompasses bars 57-60, while the last one bars 61-66, whereby it can be seen that the slur initially ended in bar 64, but the next one was added in such a way as to continue it, thus creating a continuous slur.
- Major structures having been marked with slurs can also be seen in the bass voice slurs. Each of the four-bar sections 53-56 and 57-60 is encompassed with one slur, while the next one, starting in bar 61, reaches the 1st note in bar 66.
In the version prepared for print, bars 33-52 are provided with one-bar slurs only. In FE1 (→GE) such slurs are also under the R.H. dyads in bars 53-58; however, while proofreading FE2 Chopin added a four-bar slur over bars 53-56 and another one over bars 57-58, added to the already existing one over bars 59-60 (the shorter slurs in bars 61-66 remained unchanged). This is a return to the initial concept, yet partial, since the one-bar slurs under the notes were not removed. However, this could have resulted from the engraver's carelessness.
In the L.H. part, the slurring of the editions is, except minor inaccuracies, consistent – in three subsequent four-bar sections (bars 53-56, 57-60 and 61-64), the motifs in the first two bars are provided with separate slurs, while the second pair of bars is encompassed with one slur.
We discuss the above differences in notes concerning particular places – R.H. slurs, see bars 39-42, 49-52, 53-56, 57-60 and 61-66, L.H. slurs, see bars 53-56, 57-60, 61-66 and 66-68. Other minor differences, resulting from inaccuracies and mistakes, are discussed in bars 56, 58 and 60.
category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations
notation: Slurs
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