Hairpins Meant WHAT?!

Woah, this is certainly news to me!

For those not in the know:

Hairpins, in sheet music, stand for crescendos and decrescendos. This was drilled into many a student's brain from very early on, depending on which instrument one plays. (Definitely by Grade 2 rudiments, for those music-theory-takers out there.)

Apparently, in Romantic music, that's not necessarily true - it could also be a rubato indication. One that may be open to interpretation.

Woah. My mind is blown. All these years of Chopin, and I never knew!

Sadly, I am usually too cheap to buy the Urtext version of anything*, so the hairpin accuracy is suspect anyway.

*One exception: I have the Urtext version of the Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1. Somewhat ironically, I don't really like Bach, but it's nice to know exactly what an ornament is supposed to be (other than "squiggly line").

(Clearly, I am not studying. I should be. But I am not. Will probably start at midnight, which is not a good idea since organic lab final is in about 12 hours or so. At least I have the notes and mechanisms all prepped!)