mUltimate Chopin

Op. 2, Variations, complete

Text Compare Notes Sources Description

Issues : Accidentals in different octaves

b. 14

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

..

In A, there are no naturals to the b2 and b3 demisemiquavers. The latter was already corrected in GE (→FE,EE). In the case of b2, the missing  does not have to be considered a mistake, since the rules of validity of accidentals are not strictly determined in this context – b2 sounds higher than the b1 note at the beginning of the bar (an accidental is required) but it is written down at the same pitch (an accidental is not required). Interestingly, both naturals are in AsI.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 27

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

..

In A there are no accidentals to the last small semiquaver in each of the group of grace notes. This patent inaccuracy was already corrected in GE1 and in all subsequent editions.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A

b. 30

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

..

In A a few necessary or cautionary accidentals are missing – in the L.H. a  lowering g1 to g1, in the R.H. flats lowering g2 to g2 and c2 to c2 and a  to f2. In GE (→FE,EE) it was only the missing accidental in the L.H. that was added.
In the main text we add the above accidentals as well as a cautionary  to d3.

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

issues: Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE

b. 35-36

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

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Although the "nonchalant" chromatic notation of A – at least 4 accidentals in the R.H. are missing as well as 7 in the L.H. – does not lead to any textual doubts, it requires to be completed, which was already performed, to a certain extent, in the first editions. Taking into account the manner (different from ours) in the case of the R.H. part on the 4th beat of b. 35, the accidentals on the top stave were already ordered in GE1, including the addition of a cautionary  to d1 at the beginning of b. 35 and removal of the unnecessarily repeated  to b1 at the beginning of the 2nd half of b. 36. However, the notation of the L.H. part can be considered complete only in FESB and EE (different in both). In the main text we add R.H accidentals on the 4th beat of b. 35; it was also performed in GE3. See also the note at the beginning of the 2nd half of b. 36.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions; Corrections & alterations; Source & stylistic information

issues: Accidentals in different octaves , Corrections in A , Cautionary accidentals , Inaccuracies in A

b. 39-40

composition: Op. 2, Variations, complete

..

As in b. 35-36, in A Chopin overlooked some necessary accidentals, mainly in b. 40 – a  to d2 and a  to e2 in the R.H. and a  to e1 and a  to d2 in the L.H. (the use of accidentals in b. 39 is not fully codified due to the octave sign, as a result of which the  to e3 and the  to d2 could be considered superfluous). All necessary accidentals – subject to the situation described in the brackets above – were already added in GE1 (→FE1,EE,GE2→GE3). In EE a  to d2 before the 6th semiquaver in b. 39 was also added.
FESB repeated the accidentals of GE1; however, it was a  instead of a  that was placed to the 6th semiquaver in b. 39, which resulted in an erroneous e1 note; moreover, a  to d2 was added before the 8th semiquaver in this bar, which does not make sense – the accidental, if necessary at all, should be before the 6th semiquaver.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE , Accidentals in different octaves , GE revisions , FE revisions , Inaccuracies in A