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Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

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Articulation, Accents, Hairpins
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Articulation, Accents, Hairpins

b. 34-35

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

No signs in AI & FE (→GE)

  in A

Long accents in EE

Our suggestion
..

In FE (→GE), omission of the pair of short   hairpins visible in A in bar 34 is most probably a mistake. In EE in both bars long accents (diminuendoes?) modelled after bars 30-31 were arbitrarily added. In the main text we give the signs of A in bar 34, together with a proposal of adding them by analogy in bar 35 (in bars 30-31 Chopin marked both bars). 

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Errors in FE

b. 38-40

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

Dots & wedges in A

Three dots in FE

Six dots in GE

Two dots in EE3 (→EE4)

Our suggestion
..

The sources show numerous differences, as far as the indications of articulation of the first semiquavers in these bars are concerned, while the signs in particular sources are so inconsistent that it is hard to determine Chopin's intention in this issue. As it does not seem that Chopin intervened in the text of the editions in this respect, we consider A as the only authoritative source. In the main text we give the notation of A in the completed version, as Chopin additions of articulation in the L.H. in bar 37 and the dot at the beginning of bar 39 indicate the will to explicitly indicate the staccato articulation of the semiquavers in the L.H. in this section. Therefore, it seems to be rational to add dots at the beginning of bars 38 and 40.

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Errors in EE , GE revisions , Wedges

b. 38-40

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

cresc. - - in AI

 in A, contextual interpretation

 cresc. in FE (→GE)

 cresc. in EE
..

Cresc. - - in AI is the original version, replaced in A with more precise indications. According to us, minor graphic differences in the notation of crescendos in A – both  and cresc. – are of random nature and are not supposed to suggest any differences in the interpretation of these indications. The engraver of FE (→GE) considered such a characteristic for Chopin imposition of the  sign and the cresc. indication as an unnecessary complication. In EE the range of the  signs in these bars was homogenised.

category imprint: Differences between sources

issues: EE revisions , Inaccuracies in FE

b. 41

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

New  in AI & A (→FE→GE,EE)

Continued  suggested by the editors
..

According to us, the  mark used by Chopin is to be understood as continuation of the previous one, which is indicated by the homogeneity of figurations and structural issues (four-bar section with 1+1+2 structure). In the times of Chopin, two signs  |  at the transition between the lines were commonly interchangeably used with  | .

category imprint: Interpretations within context; Differences between sources

issues: Hairpins denoting continuation

b. 42

composition: Op. 10 No 3, Etude in E major

R.H. wedge in AI & A

No marks in FE (→GE,EE)

Wedges suggested by the editors
..

In the main text we give a wedge in the R.H. written in both autographs. Its absence in the editions is almost certainly a result of an oversight. The wedges at the beginning of bars 44 and 46, marked in A in the parts of both hands, suggest the need to add the sign in the L.H. also in bar 42.

category imprint: Differences between sources; Editorial revisions

issues: Inaccuracies in FE , Wedges