mUltimate Chopin

(Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

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b. 90

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

No ornament in sources

Our alternative suggestion
..

This four-quaver motif, which opens the Sonata, appears in the entire movement 10 more times (bars 1-2,  5, 7, 92, 94, 179-180, 183 and 185), always accompanied by  or  on the 1st note. This makes us assume that one of these marks could have been overlooked in the discussed bar (cf. bar 62). However, the absence of an ornament is inconspicuous here, and Chopin could have been thinking of clearly putting the chords introducing the key of A in bars 89-90 (both marked with ) or of avoiding three ornaments in a row (bar 90, 92 and 94) in a very similar context. In this situation in the main text we leave the version of the sources; as an alternative solution we suggest the version featuring an ornament. 

category imprint: Editorial revisions

issues: Errors of A

b. 91

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

No fingering in A (→GE→FE,IE)

Fingering in EE
..

In the main text we omit the inauthentic R.H. part fingering added by EE.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions

b. 91-93

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

Slurs from semiquaver in A

Slurs from crotchet in GE (→FE,EE,IE)
..

When interpreted literally, the A slur in the 2nd half of bar 91 starts from the semiquaver; the same applies to bar 93. Due to the notation of similar motifs in bars 98-99, we favour the interpretation adopted by the editions (cf. the similarly shifted slur over the dots in bar 41). The A version can be considered an equal variant.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in GE , Inaccurate slurs in A

b. 94

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

Dotted minim & crotchet in sources

Semibreve suggested by the editors
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As in bar 59 and 66, in the main text we simplify the Chopinesque notation after similar bar 90 and 92. The original notation can be a remaining element of the abandoned version featuring a repetition of the chord on the 4th crotchet in the bar.

category imprint: Editorial revisions

b. 96

composition: (Op. 4), Sonata in C minor, Mvt I

..

As Chopin wrote the top voice quavers first, there was no space left for the minim prolonging the sound of the first one. He wrote it only under c2, as the natural and the notehead of the b1 quaver made it impossible to place it closer to the 1st quaver. This misleading notation, suggesting that a1 should be played again with the c2 quaver, was repeated this way by all editions.

category imprint: Graphic ambiguousness; Interpretations within context

issues: Inaccuracies in A , Errors repeated in GE , Errors repeated in FE , Errors repeated in EE , Errors repeated in IE