mUltimate Chopin

Op. 2, Variations, complete

Text Compare Notes Sources Description
Select: 
Category
All
Graphic ambiguousness
Interpretations within context
Differences between sources
Editorial revisions
Corrections & alterations
Source & stylistic information
Articulation, Accents, Hairpins
All
Pitch
Rhythm
Slurs
Articulation, Accents, Hairpins
Verbal indications
Pedalling
Fingering
Ornaments
Shorthand & other
Importance
All
Important
Main
Undo Clear

Articulation, Accents, Hairpins

b. 319

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

5 wedges in AsI & A

6 wedges in GE (→EE,FESB)

No marks in FE
..

Chopin marked with wedges 5 thirds, since the last two are connected by a slur. Therefore, the sixth wedge in GE (→EE,FESB) must be a mistake. In FE all these marks were omitted, which was most probably a side effect of the intervention in the size of notes – see the next note.

As far as the notation of AsI is concerned, it is inaccurate, while the compliance in terms of the number of wedges with the version of A is most probably accidental – Chopin scribbled a few dashes (marking wedges) with the intention of marking all 6 semiquavers in this way and did not bother to check their number in the working manuscript (in the R.H. he put as many as 7 dashes!).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Errors resulting from corrections , Errors in GE

b. 320

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

Accent in AsI

Accent & wedges in A (→GE→EE)

No marks in FE & FESB
..

The left-out accent and wedges must be a mistake by FE and FESB. In the case of FE1 (→FE2), according to us, the possible reason could be – as in the previous bar – the introduction of the ossia più facile version, marked by the use of a smaller font (see the note in bar 319).

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Errors in FE , Errors resulting from corrections

b. 321-325

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

Staccato dots in A

Wedges in GE (→FE,EE)
..

The semiquavers ending the mostly six-note motifs encompassed with slurs in bars 321-322 and 324-325 (and in bars 327-328 as well) were provided with staccato dots by Chopin. The wedges with which they were replaced in the editions resulted from the unifying revision of the engraver of GE1. In the remaining editions, the wedges were repeated after GE1, whereby in EE and FESB some marks were overlooked – in EE the first one in bar 325, while in FESB all in bar 321 and 325 (and in bar 327 too) and the third one in bar 322. We do not consider these inaccurate versions to be independent variants.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions , Wedges

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

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