A nocturne is a musical composition intended to be evocative of the night and thus quite wistful and dreamy in nature. Although the term goes back a long way in musical history, its genesis as a distinct musical genre didn’t come about until the 19th century when Irish composer John Field wrote several pieces under this specific title of “nocturne”. He in turn heavily influenced one Frédéric Chopin who wrote a perfect set of 21 nocturnes that became the romantic period’s best-known exemplar of the form (to the detriment of Field’s legacy, since Field’s piano work is practically unheard these days when compared to Chopin’s piano repertoire).
Arguably Chopin’s most famous piece is the subject of today’s blog, his Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2, written around 1830 when Chopin was in his early twenties and his creative juices were in full flow. It has been a permanent fixture of the Classic FM Hall of Fame ever since it started in 1996. Its beguiling melody haunts from start to finish. As the song progresses, the main melody is repeated three times, and each time includes more and more ornamentation, a classic Chopin technique. It’s played in andante and espress dolce, meaning moderately slow and expressively sweet.
Pianists live and die today by their ability to tackle Chopin’s repertoire of hardy perennials, and the Nocturnes are no exception – the list of great pianists that have committed their interpretations to record is extensive and includes Arthur Rubinstein, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Alfred Cortot, and Maurizio Pollini. I have chosen a recording by Polish pianist Arthur Rubinstein, regarded by many as the greatest Chopin interpreter of his time. He played in public for eight decades so you can be sure we’re in safe hands. Listen to this masterpiece; it’s pure tenderness.
