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Op. 2, Variations, complete

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Pedalling

b. 309

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

No  in A (→GE→FE)

in EE

[] suggested by the editors
..

Single  marks appear in Chopin's pieces quite rarely and – apart from the pieces' endings – most often result from oversights of  marks supposed to complete them. According to us, this is also the case here – starting from the  mark at the beginning of this bar, there are no more pedal marks in A until the end of the line of text (in bar 311), which points to momentary distraction. Due to the above, in the main text we suggest adding a , in accordance with the harmonic sense. Such a mark was also added in EE, almost in the same place.

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category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: EE revisions , No pedal release mark , Inaccuracies in A

b. 366

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

 under G1-G in A

No sign in GE (→FE)

at end of bar in EE
..

The absence of an  asterisk in GE (→FE) must be of an accidental nature. The engraver of GE1 probably omitted it, since it was difficult to squeeze it in the right place. The reviser of EE was close to guessing Chopin's idea.

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category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in GE

b. 367

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

pédale de la basse in AsI

 after first quaver in A, literal reading

 under 2nd quaver in GE (→FE,EE,FESB)

 under 1st quaver suggested by the editors
..

The placement of the  mark in A does not allow us to reproduce Chopin's intention unequivocally. Statistically speaking, Chopin would write a  mark more often – especially in the case of low-placed bass notes – before the note it was supposed to concern than after such note, but his autographs include both situations. Therefore, we assume that in this case it is the pianistic context that is decisive – bass pedal notes belong to Chopin's favourite harmonic procedures, hence the doubled F1-F octave held with pedal seems to be more likely than the solution adopted by the editions. This conclusion is confirmed by the notation of AsI – the 'bass pedal' indication written under the semiquaver figuration undoubtedly refers to the reverberation of the initial octave, which in the orchestral part is sustained by the f note, played in bars 367-368 by the bassoon, while in bars 369-370 by the French horn. 

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category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 368

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

No sign in sources

[] suggested by the editors
..

The missing  asterisk in the sources does not have to be Chopin's oversight. In such descending figurations preceded with a bass note, we often encounter notation without this mark, which suggests that the composer resorted to such notation either when he did not want to specify the moment the pedal should be released or when he could not decide on one of the versions, cf., e.g. the Etude in D, Op. 25 No. 8, bars 19-20, 27 or the Waltz in C minor, Op. 64 No. 2, bars 15-16. On the other hand, there is a number of places (e.g. among the above examples) in which Chopin added a  mark in some sources, probably to avoid a too long or a too short pedal. Guided by similar motives, in the main text we indicate a possible pedal release in a place in which the shape of the L.H. figuration changes, thus exposing the bass line more clearly (according to Chopin's intention probably gradually, which is indicated by the subsequent change of notation in bar 370).

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category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: No pedal release mark

b. 374

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

No markings in sources

Pedalling suggested by the editors
..

In the main text we suggest pedal marks modelled on an authentic indication in analogous bar 372. This bar opens the last page in A, which is devoid of pedal marks, which makes us assume that Chopin forgot to write them there. However, it cannot be ruled out that he did not repeat the marks on purpose due to a lower register of the bass and the R.H. part.

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category imprint: Editorial revisions