mUltimate Chopin

Op. 63 No. 2, Mazurka in F minor

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Issues : Chopin's hesitations

b. 6-7

composition: Op. 63 No. 2, Mazurka in F minor

As version

FE (→GE,EE) version
..

Chopin decided to publish bar 7 – together with the last quaver in bar 6 – in a changed version with respect to the notation of As. However, according to us, it is uncertain which version was earlier, since the notation of As suggests that corrections were being made to the first version:

  • it seems that the natural at the end of bar 6 was added later,
  • the 1st quaver in bar 7 could have been changed from g1 to a1,
  • it seems that the 2nd quaver was added in between the adjacent ones,
  • the flag and it having been slashed in the a1 grace note seem to have been added to the stem of a normal quaver (penultimate in the initial version).

If all the above assumptions proved to be true, it would turn out that it was the final version that was entered first (except the enharmonically equivalent notation of the 2nd quaver in bar 7,  g1 instead of a1). Therefore, it would be a very clear example of Chopin's hesitation.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Chopin's hesitations , Main-line changes

b. 13

composition: Op. 63 No. 2, Mazurka in F minor

No rest in As

f-g-d1 in FE (→EEW)

g-d1-f1 in GE

Our alternative suggestion
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After preparing As, Chopin decided to forgo the note played on the 3rd crotchet. Therefore, he had to choose whether the chord on the 2nd crotchet was to correspond to the chord in the previous or in the next bar (in terms of position). Initially, he opted for g-d1-f1, only later, while proofreading FE1, he changed it to f-g-d1, which is proven by the remaining elements of proofreading visible in FES. The version of GE (g-d1-f1) proves that the German edition was based on a proof copy of FE1 from before this proofreading. The four-note chord in bar 53 combines the advantages of both versions, hence it seems that it could be used in bar 13 as well.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Chopin's hesitations , Authentic corrections of FE

b. 21

composition: Op. 63 No. 2, Mazurka in F minor

f1-g1 in As

e1-f1 in FE (→GE,EE)
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As includes in this bar only the two R.H. melody notes, which we interpret as an indication that it is the accompanying voices from bar 17 that should be repeated here (see next comment). One can also see that initially Chopin probably wanted to repeat the version of that bar in the melody too – the minim that opens the bar was first written as e1. While preparing the Mazurka for print the composer eventually discarded the notion of diversifying the melody in this bar and maintained a strict analogy with the previous phrase.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Chopin's hesitations , Main-line changes

b. 23-24

composition: Op. 63 No. 2, Mazurka in F minor

Dotted rhythm in As

Minim in FE (→GE,EE)
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The As version with a dotted rhythm in the upper voice was most likely changed by Chopin already in [A] (→FE→GE,EE). However, in bar 24, the first note (g1) was probably remade from a minim to a dotted crotchet, which means that in this bar Chopin changed his mind twice, ultimately returning to the first idea (minim).

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

issues: Chopin's hesitations , Main-line changes

b. 30

composition: Op. 63 No. 2, Mazurka in F minor

No ornament in As

in FE (→GE,EE)
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The absence of mordent in As could be considered an inaccuracy related to the sketchy nature of this manuscript, but for the fact that in bar 22  is not included in the version prepared for print. It could only have been a coincidence – the inaccuracy of As here and, for example, the oversight by the engraver of FE in bar 22 – but Chopin's hesitation cannot be completely ruled out.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Chopin's hesitations