Debussy: Suite Bergamasque I: Prelude: Variation in Sheet Music

[devbanana]

I'm taking piano lessons at college this semester so that I can learn some new material and have an excuse to practice.

One of the pieces assigned was the prelude to Suite Bergamasque in F major.

I came home over the weekend, so visited my old piano teacher to have a lesson as well and learn some more of this piece. When I played what I knew, she vehemently insisted that one of the chords was wrong. Her teacher studied at a French conservatory and focused on Debussy, so she knew a lot about his works.

There were two inconsistencies we found between the two copies:

Measure 2, beat 2, second 16th note: First copy shows A, other teacher's copy shows B flat.
Measure 4, beat 1, left hand: First copy shows C and B flat, other teacher's copy says C and A.

So I did some investigating. I listened to some versions on YouTube, and almost all of them use the first variant of the first inconsistency. With the second inconsistency, I couldn't tell, but it sounded like the second variant was almost always used.

However, I have a professional recording, and it consistently follows my home teacher's copy (second variant of each).

We didn't continue looking for inconsistencies, so there very well may be more. I just find this strange.

Does anyone else know of this?

[bruced]

[...]

There were two inconsistencies we found between the two copies:

Measure 2, beat 2, second 16th note: First copy shows A, other teacher's copy shows B flat.
Measure 4, beat 1, left hand: First copy shows C and B flat, other teacher's copy says C and A.

[...]

You haven't said what editions you were comparing; that might have some considerable bearing.  If one of the editions was Durand, be aware that Durand, even though they were the "official" publisher of Debussy, was/is notorious for mistakes in printing.

Did you check measures 67 and 69; they should be the same as measures 2 and 4.  For what it's worth, the Henle edition (Urtext) is the same as your "first copy."

Regards,

[devbanana]

You haven't said what editions you were comparing; that might have some considerable bearing.  If one of the editions was Durand, be aware that Durand, even though they were the "official" publisher of Debussy, was/is notorious for mistakes in printing.

Did you check measures 67 and 69; they should be the same as measures 2 and 4.  For what it's worth, the Henle edition (Urtext) is the same as your "first copy."

Regards,

The first copy is just photocopied and has no edition listed on it. My other teacher didn't tell me which copy she was using. However, she was telling me that if her music would have been wrong, her own teacher would have caught it since she studied Debussy so thoroughly, so that's why I'm so unsure.

And it's strange that at least one professional recording (artist: Tamás Vásáry) has the alternate version as I mentioned.

[haydnseeker]

I have the Bärenreiter Urtext which agrees with the "first" copy  in having A at bar 2 but with the "other" copy in having A at bar 4.  The reading in bar 2 is explicitly stated to be an editorial decision (to agree with 8 & 67) but there is no comment on bar 4 at all.

The original publisher was not Durand but Fromont (later Jobert).  The Bärenreiter editor regards the first edition as more authoritative than later versions.

[drkilroy]

I have got a reprint (by Dover) of first edition (by Fromont) and the second version is present in both measures, so I guess this is right.

Best regards, Dr

[devbanana]

I have got a reprint (by Dover) of first edition (by Fromont) and the second version is present in both measures, so I guess this is right.

Best regards, Dr

This is exactly what I needed to know. Thank you very much. I will proceed with that copy, then.

[drkilroy]

Sorry to mess up, but I found an original edition (not a reprint) by Fromont and in the measure 2 there is a B-flat and in the measure 4 there is A. I am sorry I misled you.

Best regards, Dr

[bruced]

[...]
The original publisher was not Durand but Fromont (later Jobert).  The Bärenreiter editor regards the first edition as more authoritative than later versions.

Thank you for that correction.

Regards,