mUltimate Chopin

Op. 2, Variations, complete

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Revisions in FESB

b. 14

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

2 slurs in A

Shorter slur in GE (→FE,EE)

Longer slur in AsI & FESB
..

It is difficult to evaluate the authenticity of the version of GE (→FE,EE), featuring only one R.H. slur in this bar. The longer slur of A, not included in the editions, does not seem to be a part of an irregular group marking, since it goes beyond it, to the c3-c4 octave. Therefore, it should be assumed that it concerns phrasing/articulation; when omitted, it impacts the articulation of the last five demisemiquavers, particularly if we take into account the change of dots to wedges, also performed in GE. On the other hand, upon seeing GE, Chopin could have considered one slur to be enough and the markings as a whole to be acceptable. In this situation, we regard both sets of markings (dots under a slur or wedges) as more or less equal, keeping in the main text the version of the principal source, i.e. A.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: GE revisions , Authentic corrections of GE , Revisions in FESB

b. 23

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

in A

in GE (→FE,EE)

in FESB
..

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Scope of dynamic hairpins , Revisions in FESB

b. 49-50

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

Longer  in A (→GE→EE)

2  signs in FE & FESB
..

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: FE revisions , Hairpins denoting continuation , Revisions in FESB

b. 58

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

Earlier ver­sion in AsI, contextual interpretation

Final version, spelling in sources, contextual interpretation

Final version, spelling suggested by the editors
..

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Omissions to cancel alteration , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE , Revisions in FESB

b. 58

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

..

The authentic chromatic notation of the descending part of the roulade takes into account the validity of the previously entered accidentals only to a minimal extent:

  • In a few places Chopin chose enharmonic variants requiring a greater number of accidentals than necessary – c4 as the 15th note, b3 (18th), g3 (25th), f3 (29th), e3 (33rd), c3 (39th), b2 (43rd). As in such a chromatic sequence enharmonic variants of notation practically do not impact the understanding of music, we exceptionally change this orthography in the main text to avoid excessive complications. It allows us to reduce the number of accidentals on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th beats of the bar by 8 (in the authentic notation we also count the 3 accidentals overlooked by Chopin – see below).
  • Assuming a regular structure of the figuration – which is almost impossible to challenge – Chopin overlooked a  cancelling an alteration that has occurred earlier in the bar three times – no naturals to c4 (14th note), a3 (20th note) and f3 (31st note).
  • The  to g3 was unnecessarily repeated (22nd note).

This notation was repeated without any changes by the majority of the editions. Only in FESB a  restoring c4 was added (14th note).

The choice between the orthography of the sources (complemented) and the one proposed by us is made possible in the note presenting the earlier version of the R.H. figuration recorded in #ApI.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Omissions to cancel alteration , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE , Revisions in FESB