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b.
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composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete
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In the L.H. part, Chopin omitted a few necessary accidentals in AsI and A – a category imprint: |
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b. 1
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composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete
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The fact that Chopin did not provide in the title of his Variations either the composer or the title of the opera from which the theme was coming proves the duet's huge popularity in the musical world of both Warsaw and Vienna. It was the English publisher who added the relevant pieces of information; moreover, he embellished the title with a few impressive phrases – the piece was described as an "homage to Mozart" (Hom[m]age à Mozart), the variations were "grand and brilliant" (Grandes variations brillantes), while the duet from Don Giovanni was the composer's favourite (Duo favorit). Chopin tried to deal with Wessel's pompous, arbitrary titles in later years, yet without much success – cf. the letter to Fontana of October 9, 1841: "if he [Wessel] made losses on my compositions, it must have been for the silly titles he provided them with in spite of my telling him not to and in spite of Mr Stapelton mocking them several times; had I listened to my heart, I would not have sent him a single piece more after those titles." Therefore, it could be concluded that Chopin also did not have any influence on the changes Wessel made to the dedications, although in this case there are no traces of the composer's possible protests to confirm it. category imprint: Differences between sources issues: EE revisions , Dedications |
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b. 1
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composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete
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The GE1 and GE2 copies were provided with two types of covers – some gave no information that the piece was intended for piano with orchestra (the phrase "avec accompagnement d'orchestre" was removed). The title page of GE3 explicitly informs us that it is a piece for one piano ("pour le piano seul"). The titles of the remaining editions do not contain a mention of the orchestral accompaniment, although in the case of FE1 (→FE2) one can guess that it is included due to the given prices of the orchestral material (in a full version and in a version reduced to string quartet). category imprint: Differences between sources; Source & stylistic information issues: GE revisions |
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b. 1-8
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composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete
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In AsI, the piece begins with an orchestral eight-bar period based on a melodic and harmonic idea different from the published version. Only bars 1 and 8 show any similarity to the final version, the rest form a kind of skeleton of what the soloist then performs in bars 10-15 (this is especially clear in bars 3-6 in comparison with bars 11-14). We consider this original redaction to be the text of AsI and we present it as a unified variant of the entire bars 1-8. In addition, AsI also contains – on the page preceding the regular opening – a record of the later version, although only in the form of a string quintet score. It differs from the sources constituting the basis of the published version (A, GE1 and FE) only in the rhythm of the end of bar 8, which we describe in a separate note and include as a variant of the main text. category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations issues: Accompaniment changes , Main-line changes |
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b. 1
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composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete
category imprint: Differences between sources; Corrections & alterations issues: Changes of metre , 4/4 or 2/2 |
to b
and a 
to f in bar 327 (yet he wrote a cautionary 
in 
in remaining sources