AI - Earlier autograph
| Date: | VI-X 1846 |
| Title: | Mazourek |
| Dedication: | None |
Autograph signed and dated "Nohant 1846. FChopin", entitled Mazourek. In spite of around 30 corrections/deletions of various size, AI keeps the nature of a fair copy, and, until the moment it was finished, it could have been written as a basis for print, which is indicated by careful development with a significant number of performance indications and – in addition to the aforementioned corrections – fair and clear notation. Eventually, when Chopin realised that he would still like to introduce a number of changes, for example, the change to the key signature concerning bars 33-68 or adding a few bars to the ending of the piece, he most probably decided that AI would serve as a gift, which is evidenced by typical elements of such copies, that is date and signature, as well as an individual title in French and Polish.
The suggested dating of the manuscript is based on an interpretation of the following facts – in 1846, Chopin stayed in Nohant from 27 May to 12 November; on 11 October, he wrote (to the family) "I have three new Mazurkas", and less than a month later, on 9 November, he already sent autographs of the entire Op. 63 in a version for print to Paris. It seems highly unlikely for AI to have been written during the first few days following the arrival to Nohant, which allows us to determine the terminus post quem to be VI 1846. On the other hand, on 11 October, a fairly finished autograph of the Mazurka was most probably ready; in this case, the only possible options are AI or [A]. Consequently, it is 11 October 1846 that is the terminus ante quem. Therefore, we consider that AI was most likely prepared between June and October 1846.
| Original in: | Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris |
| Shelf-mark: | Ms. 112 |
