Chopin, Prelude, Op. 28, No. 20 in Cm

[rachfan]

In measure 3, I play an E natural at the top of the RH chord in the fouth beat.  I do know about the score found belonging to one of Chopin's pupils with the flat penciled beside that note, presumably by Chopin.  Nevertheless, while the debate goes on, like many others I prefer the E natural.

[rafant]

I play the piece closing to the score that I have, which shows a crescendo in the last measures, ending the piece with a ff chord. Do you have a score with different dynamics or it's your personal decision? Anyway, I like it.

[rachfan]

Hi Rafant,

For the Chopin Preludes, I used the Paderewski Edition.  Paderewsk was assisted in his work by Bronarski and Turczynski, both respected scholars.  Although technically this edition is not an urtext in the sense that we think of urtexts today, it is nevertheless very well researched and meticulous, and includes superb commentary by the editorial committee.  Prior to the Henle Edition, I believe that the Paderewski was the first choice of a great many pianists in western Europe and North America, and continues to be very popular today.  Most recently it has become available in the far less expensive Dover Edition, making it more accessible to more pianists.

The last written dynamic is the pp at measure 9.  The crescendo doesn't occur until 11.   Interestingly, the Breitkopf & Hartel edition, one of of the three original editions of the period, did not show that crescendo at all!  I honestly don't know what the autograph manuscript indicates there.  While the last chord is marked with a forzando accent, like all accents and all dynamic markings, they are always to be considered as being relative to both similar markings in other pieces, and relative to the dynamic levels within the piece at hand.  Thus, there is no such thing as an absolute dynamic marking.   Because the dynamic is pp through the first half of 11, leaving only a measure and a half to effect the crescendo, my interpretation initially was not to make too much of that crescendo, but rather to play it non troppo.  But I didn't much care for it.  Then, given the absence of the crescendo in the German edition mentioned above, I tried staying within pp, and played the last chord no louder than mp at most.  I liked it!  So that's my explanation as to how there came to be no forte ending in my recording.   

I'm glad you enjoyed listening to my rendition.  Thanks Rafant!

David