The Nocturnes, Op. 48 are a set of two nocturnes for solo piano written by Frédéric Chopin in 1841 [1] and published the following year in 1842. They are dedicated to Mlle. Laure Duperré. Chopin later sold the copyright for the nocturnes for 2,000 francs along with several other pieces. [2]
The Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1 is initially marked
lento and is in 4
4
meter. In general, the scheme of the music is
ternary form and follows A–B–A′.
[3]
The piece becomes poco più lento at measure 25 and enters its middle section, which is a chorale in C major. Later, it moves to a technically demanding doppio movimento agitato at measure 49 which features fortissimo octave passages and double octave arpeggios. Finally, the piece ends with a reprise of the initial melody with extremely fast chordal accompaniment. [4] The piece is a total of 77 measures long.
The Nocturne in C minor is one of the more well known nocturnes, and has been categorized as one of Chopin's greatest emotional achievements. [5] [6] Theodor Kullak said of the piece, "the design and poetic contents of this nocturne make it the most important one that Chopin created; the chief subject is a masterly expression of a great powerful grief." [6] Jan Kleczyński Sr. calls the nocturne "broad and most imposing with its powerful intermediate movement, a thorough departure from the nocturne style." [7] Some musical critics, including Charles Willeby and Frederick Niecks, do not think the piece deserves its fame and position; though James Huneker agrees with this assessment, he notes that the nocturne is still "the noblest nocturne of them all." [8] James Friskin found the music to have "the most imposing instrumental effect of any of the nocturnes," calling the crescendo and octaves "almost Lisztian." [9]
Jim Samson notes that the nocturne intensifies "not through ornamentation, but through a new textural background." [10] Kleczyński commented that the middle section "is the tale of a still greater grief told in an agitated recitando; celestial harps come to bring one ray of hope, which is powerless in its endeavor to calm the wounded soul, which...sends forth to heaven a cry of deepest anguish." [7] The ending, according to Samson, is "in the nature of an elaborated ' feminine ending', articulating the reactive final beat of an amphibrach grouping." [10]
The Nocturne in F-sharp minor, Op 48, No. 2 is initially marked
andantino and is in 4
4 meter. It switches to più lento at measure 57 and returns to the original tempo at measure 101. The piece is a total of 137 measures long.
When compared with the more melancholy outer themes, the middle section, più lento, is completely different—the piece modulates from
minor to major (D♭), changes its
meter to 3
4 and decreases
tempo.
Frederick Niecks commented that the middle section "is finer" and contains "soothing, simple chord progressions."
[11] Chopin once noted that the middle section was like a
recitative and should be played as if "a tyrant commands, and the other asks for mercy."
[5] The recapitulation is cut short by the
coda, which ends with trills, a rising arpeggio and final chord in
F♯ major (a
Picardy third).
[12]
The Nocturnes, Op. 48 are a set of two nocturnes for solo piano written by Frédéric Chopin in 1841 [1] and published the following year in 1842. They are dedicated to Mlle. Laure Duperré. Chopin later sold the copyright for the nocturnes for 2,000 francs along with several other pieces. [2]
The Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1 is initially marked
lento and is in 4
4
meter. In general, the scheme of the music is
ternary form and follows A–B–A′.
[3]
The piece becomes poco più lento at measure 25 and enters its middle section, which is a chorale in C major. Later, it moves to a technically demanding doppio movimento agitato at measure 49 which features fortissimo octave passages and double octave arpeggios. Finally, the piece ends with a reprise of the initial melody with extremely fast chordal accompaniment. [4] The piece is a total of 77 measures long.
The Nocturne in C minor is one of the more well known nocturnes, and has been categorized as one of Chopin's greatest emotional achievements. [5] [6] Theodor Kullak said of the piece, "the design and poetic contents of this nocturne make it the most important one that Chopin created; the chief subject is a masterly expression of a great powerful grief." [6] Jan Kleczyński Sr. calls the nocturne "broad and most imposing with its powerful intermediate movement, a thorough departure from the nocturne style." [7] Some musical critics, including Charles Willeby and Frederick Niecks, do not think the piece deserves its fame and position; though James Huneker agrees with this assessment, he notes that the nocturne is still "the noblest nocturne of them all." [8] James Friskin found the music to have "the most imposing instrumental effect of any of the nocturnes," calling the crescendo and octaves "almost Lisztian." [9]
Jim Samson notes that the nocturne intensifies "not through ornamentation, but through a new textural background." [10] Kleczyński commented that the middle section "is the tale of a still greater grief told in an agitated recitando; celestial harps come to bring one ray of hope, which is powerless in its endeavor to calm the wounded soul, which...sends forth to heaven a cry of deepest anguish." [7] The ending, according to Samson, is "in the nature of an elaborated ' feminine ending', articulating the reactive final beat of an amphibrach grouping." [10]
The Nocturne in F-sharp minor, Op 48, No. 2 is initially marked
andantino and is in 4
4 meter. It switches to più lento at measure 57 and returns to the original tempo at measure 101. The piece is a total of 137 measures long.
When compared with the more melancholy outer themes, the middle section, più lento, is completely different—the piece modulates from
minor to major (D♭), changes its
meter to 3
4 and decreases
tempo.
Frederick Niecks commented that the middle section "is finer" and contains "soothing, simple chord progressions."
[11] Chopin once noted that the middle section was like a
recitative and should be played as if "a tyrant commands, and the other asks for mercy."
[5] The recapitulation is cut short by the
coda, which ends with trills, a rising arpeggio and final chord in
F♯ major (a
Picardy third).
[12]