For our purposes, Chopin sources are those that may have a direct or indirect impact on our search for the composer’s ultimate, authentic vision of a given work. Thus defined, the sources are generally divided into hand-written, printed and combined ones (i.e. printed, but containing hand-written notes). Hand-written materials are further divided into autographs and copies; among the latter, copies from autographs are of essential value to us, but in exceptional cases we also take into account copies made from copies.
Printed sources are further classified into first editions and their subsequent impressions (the latter taken into consideration only when we may suspect Chopin’s correcting hand or if they show deviations that have an impact on shaping inauthentic versions of later editions), first editions with Chopin’s notes made during lessons (and also with the notes of his pupils, if those might have been made during lessons with Chopin) and later editions – as secondary sources.
Apart from the above-listed musical sources we also take into account other indirect sources whenever they have any impact on establishing the authentic text.
