Lapse in Henle?

[John Ruggero]

Spotted in the older Henle Complete Works of Beethoven: Diabelli Variations:

Beethoven 1.png (183.15 KiB) Viewed 155 times

instead of:

Beethoven 2.png (15.53 KiB) Viewed 155 times

Is the Henle acceptable?

[RMK]

Not in my opinion.

[Schonbergian]

They might have been trying to copy the alignment of the first edition:

Screenshot 2026-09-29 223958.png (66.08 KiB) Viewed 117 times

In my opinion, while the correct rhythm is made obvious by the notation, placing the dot where they did is confusing for no good reason. I would have followed the example of the first edition and clearly offset it.

[NeeraWM]

One of the several blunders one can find in several Henle editions if one scratches beyond the surface or elegant engraving.

[John Ruggero]

I would have followed the example of the first edition and clearly offset it.

While the first edition version is certainly preferable to what Henle did, most editions follow Beethoven's manuscript and the copy by his copyist and do it as shown in the second example in the OP. Dotted quarter note first, then the half note.

[benwiggy]

I would put the halfnote first.

[John Ruggero]

That would work as well.

[John Ruggero]

Correction to my statement that most editions use Beethoven's positioning. The old Breitkopf and Haertel and the von Bulow edition both do it like Henle. Wiener Urtext and Schnabel edition use Beethoven's dotted quarter first with dot and then the half note.