Op. 2, Variation IV, primitive version

As in bars 1 and 5, in AsI Chopin generally wrote 2 versions of this bar. The earlier one, which we consider the text of this source, is written in normal-sized font, whereas the later one was added in small notes. It is noteworthy that, unlike at the beginning of the variation, in this case the second version encompasses the entire bar, and in the R.H. part it is the same as the final A version. On the other hand, in the L.H. part, in the added 2nd hemidemisemiquaver group, the 2nd note is c¹, and not a, which we see in A. A more detailed analysis of notation in this place reveals that the finally adopted a was most probably also added to AsI, next to c¹, which is more distinct.

As was the case with bars 1 and 5, the AsI version of the last note of the 4th hemidemisemiquaver group in bars 17 and 21 (written down as a repetition of the preceding one) is a transitional stage between the initial version featuring B₁ as the last bass note in these bars and the final version present in A.

The sound of the 3rd group in AsI is a puzzle in this bar. In the L.H. part, a repetition of the preceding figure is marked, hence a broken dominant chord in the key of B major (the 4th figure is also marked as a repetition, which confirms such an interpretation). In the R.H. part the middle hemidemisemiquavers bear traces of corrections – it seems that Chopin changed the initial b¹ and d² notes to a¹ and c². Consequently, all 4 figures in this bar are identical in both hands, which is contrary to the characteristic harmonic sequence with a tonic chord on the 3rd quaver in the bar, present in the orchestral part (both in AsI and in the printed orchestral parts), the A text in this place and the text of all sources in analogous bar 4. According to us, we are most probably dealing with Chopin's mistake (cf. the first note in this bar).