Issues : Chopin's hesitations
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b. 53-58
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composition: Op. 63 No. 1, Mazurka in B major
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Six one-bar slurs in these bars probably replaced the longer slurs present in AI – see the notes on bars 49-56 and 57-60. However, while proofreading FE2 Chopin restored here longer slurs, almost of the same range as in AI. It makes us doubt whether it was supposed to be an addition to the already printed slurs or whether the composer actually wanted to return to the initial concept, and the fact that the shorter slurs remained unchanged resulted from the engraver not having implemented the more labour-consuming part of proofreading (removing an element was much more troublesome than adding an element, considering the then used print method). As we are uncertain as to Chopin's intention, in the main text we give short slurs in brackets, leaving the decision of whether to include them or not to the performer. category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions; Corrections & alterations issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Chopin's hesitations , Authentic corrections of FE |
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b. 65-67
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composition: Op. 63 No. 1, Mazurka in B major
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It is uncertain whether the version of FE1 (→GE1→GE2) is authentic, since the Chopinesque proofreading of FE2 could have only added the marks overlooked by the engraver. If, however, FE1 reproduced the [A] notation correctly, the differences between the three source versions would mean that Chopin hesitated to the very end how long the f category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations |
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b. 66-68
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composition: Op. 63 No. 1, Mazurka in B major
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In the main text we give the unequivocal FE slur (→GE,EE). As far as the slurring of AI is concerned, both the slur beginning in bar 67 and the one ending at the beginning of bar 66 could be inaccurate, since it is unlikely that Chopin would have wanted to leave bar 66 without a slur. We consider the following scenario to be likely – Chopin first wrote a slur in bars 67-68 (reaching bar 69), then, while drawing a slur under bar 61 with the intention of leading it to the end of bar 66 or the beginning of bar 67, he hesitated a bar before, having considered that it could have been better to link bar 66 with the next bars (as in the final version). In this situation, unfinished slurs would mean that the doubt remained unresolved in the stage of writing AI. category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information issues: Chopin's hesitations |
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b. 79-80
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composition: Op. 63 No. 1, Mazurka in B major
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It is difficult to say whether the shorter slur of AI defines an actual variant of articulation of this motif or – which, according to us, is more likely – whether it is inaccurate or erroneous (e.g. written with bar 81 in mind). The additional, short slur in FE (→GE1,EE) is most probably a mistake, perhaps caused by unclear notation of [A] (e.g. a correction to the rhythm and slurring present in AI two bars later). Its presence next to the longer, undoubtedly correct slur therefore probably resulted from the fact that the engraver did not finish implementing the corrections Chopin introduced while proofreading FE1 (the engraver added the correct slur, but did not remove the erroneous one). The shorter slur was considered erroneous and omitted also in GE2 (→GE3). category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations issues: Errors in FE , Chopin's hesitations , GE revisions , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in EE |
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b. 96-99
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composition: Op. 63 No. 1, Mazurka in B major
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In AI the B major chord, accompanying the melody of the top voice, is played only once, in bar 96 and sustained to the first beat of bar 99. Therefore, there are no accents, visible in FE (→GE,EE). Moreover, this chord does not contain a b note. Interestingly, the deletions visible in AI reveal that the initial version was syncopated, which Chopin then abandoned while finishing the work on AI, but to which he returned in the published version. category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations issues: Chopin's hesitations , Accompaniment changes |
1 in b. 65-66 in 
2-e
