mUltimate Chopin

Op. 2, Variations, complete

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b. 321

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

..

In the main text we omit the  (cautionary?), which in all sources except AsI was unnecessarily repeated to e, the last quaver in the L.H. bottom voice.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Cautionary accidentals

b. 321-324

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

Shorter slurs in AsI

Longer slurs in A

Longer slurs in GE (→FE,EE)
..

The slurs of AsI, entered only into these bars (to the end of the page of this manuscript), reveal the initial concept of slurring, showing the quasi-two-part structure of the figurations rather than the actual phrasing.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations

b. 323-326

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

Dots & wedges in A

Wedges in GE (→FE)

Wedges in EE
..

We give the staccato marks in bar 323 (along with the 1st quaver in bar 324) and in bar 326 in the main text after A, although in this case they are not completely consistent:

  • the 1st R.H. quaver in bars 323, 326 (and 329) is provided with a dot, whereas in the L.H. a staccato mark (wedge) appears only in bar 323;
  • the g-b thirds (in various octaves) in bars 323-324 are provided with dots, whereas Chopin marked the d-f thirds in bars 326-327 (and the a-c ones in bars 329-330) with wedges.

The versions of the editions, with wedges only, must be arbitrary; what is more, they are incomplete – in GE1 (→GE2→FESB) the marks were reproduced only at the beginning of bar 323 and in bar 326 (in FE and GE3 some of them were also overlooked). In EE the marks on the 2nd and 3rd beats of bar 326 were overlooked, while wedges were added at the beginning of bar 324 and in the L.H. in bar 326.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , GE revisions , Wedges

b. 323

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

..

In the main text we add a cautionary  to b1 at the beginning of the bar.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

b. 323

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

Longer  in AsI

 in A, literal reading

 in A, contextual interpretation

 in GE (→FE,EE)
..

The position of the  marks in A is not homogeneous as part of the recurring ,  and  set. According to us, these small differences result from inaccuracy of notation, since it is unlikely that such precise indications were supposed to additionally suggest some elusive performance differences. Due to the above, in the main text we standardise them:

  • we place  inside the  hairpin, as Chopin did it the second time,
  • we average out the position of  with respect to the notes – when interpreted literally, the first time it falls under the 2nd semiquaver of the triplet, while the second time – under the first one.

In GE (→FE,EE) the combination of a  with a  was reproduced with minor deviations – the first  was moved under the 3rd note of the triplet, while the second  was shortened, so that it did not intersect .

One  mark in AsI is the first attempt to write dynamic markings in this bar.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccuracies in GE