Composers vs Engravers: Logic
Posted: 28 Aug 2017, 18:10
In this thread I am going to give examples of logical notation found in the works of the best composers that has confounded engravers of the past.
In Chopin's Etude op. 10 no. 5 ("Black Key") Chopin writes the following famous left hand chord in which the top two notes, a third apart, are both played by the thumb. (First left hand chord in example.) It is clear musically why the thumb notes are quarter notes, since they resolve to the notes that follow. But why is the Cb also a quarter note? Doesn't it resolve the the Bb in the next measure, and therefore shouldn't it be held as a half note? Based on this entirely reasonable premise, the engravers of the first editions of this piece changed the quarter note to a half note,which would held in the pedal along with the lower notes as a half pedal (notated as a Ped mark without a terminating asterisk) clears the upper notes. But the engravers made a mistake.
Chopin writes a third slur to show that the Cb takes a momentary detour up to the decorative tone Db, an escaped tone, before resolving to the Bb in the next measure.
Chopin's original notation was therefore correct, yet it continues to be mis-engraved to the present day.
I should add that there is little chance that this was a last minute change by Chopin because the Cb—Db exactly parallels and makes beautiful voice-leading with the Ab—Bb in the right hand.
In Chopin's Etude op. 10 no. 5 ("Black Key") Chopin writes the following famous left hand chord in which the top two notes, a third apart, are both played by the thumb. (First left hand chord in example.) It is clear musically why the thumb notes are quarter notes, since they resolve to the notes that follow. But why is the Cb also a quarter note? Doesn't it resolve the the Bb in the next measure, and therefore shouldn't it be held as a half note? Based on this entirely reasonable premise, the engravers of the first editions of this piece changed the quarter note to a half note,which would held in the pedal along with the lower notes as a half pedal (notated as a Ped mark without a terminating asterisk) clears the upper notes. But the engravers made a mistake.
Chopin writes a third slur to show that the Cb takes a momentary detour up to the decorative tone Db, an escaped tone, before resolving to the Bb in the next measure.
Chopin's original notation was therefore correct, yet it continues to be mis-engraved to the present day.
I should add that there is little chance that this was a last minute change by Chopin because the Cb—Db exactly parallels and makes beautiful voice-leading with the Ab—Bb in the right hand.