Mozart K331 Rondo Alla Turca m.55 discrepancy (Urtext vs Urtext?)

Question

I have the Wiener Urtext edition of the Mozart K331 (see cover image). As you can see in the picture, the 4th note of measure 55 of the Rondo Alla Turca is A (E#FGA). However, I saw two videos where people play the F note: E#FGF. I found an online sheet music that claims to be based on urtext editions and it also has F instead of A (somehow it's measure 59 there, not m.55)(see image).

In the preface of the Wiener edition, re available sources, it says "For two other sonatas (K.331 and K. 570), at least some fragments of the original manuscript have been preserved."

So which version is (more likely?) the original Or most adopted?

Answer 1

The below comes from the Henle commentary on their 2021 edition.

55 u: In F₁ 4th note indistinct, rather b² than a²; F₄ has b²; C, C_PR have a², rendered thus in our edition, cf. also M 39. Many later editions correct the reading of F₄ to f#².

The sources referenced are given substantive explanations in the commentary, but briefly:

• C: Undated copyist's manuscript. It " became known in 2016. It contains numerous textual mistakes." Possibly dating to 1760s or 1770s.
• C_PR: Copyist's manuscript. Likely late 18th century.
• F_n: First edition, nth printing.

Henle is also saying that the A is preferred over F# by comparison with m. 39, which contains the same musical material, but leading to a cadence on C# minor rather than F# minor.

Since the corresponding sections of the piece are largely parallel to each other, Henle considers the earlier passage to be the defining factor. This, given that the copyists agree, the first editions are ambiguous (or presumptively wrong), and the F# is an editorial correction not backed up by other sources.

However, the F# (instead of A) is harmonically justifiable as a necessary modification to avoid the awkward diminished fourth from A to E#.