Among forms that Chopin made his own was the Nocturne, a lyrical piano piece offering, nominally at least, a poetic vision of the night. The three Nocturnes of Opus 15 were published in 1834 with a dedication to Ferdinand Hiller, who had impressed Chopin as a boy with great talent. The third in the set is the gentle g minor Nocturne, marked Lento, languido e rubato (Slow, languid and freely). Ivan Ilić
Chopin’s first nocturnes, his opus 9 published in 1833, were greatly influenced by the creator of the form, John Field. Published only a year later, his second set, opus 15, shows a rapid advancement in Chopin’s style and the bending of the form to his artistic will. A particularly indicative example of this stylistic change is the last nocturne of the set in G minor. Chopin here abandons the typical compound meter and arpeggiated accompaniment pattern and replaces it with triplet time, in a Lento tempo, and a chordal figure that seems to heave heavy sighs throughout the entire piece. Above it unfolds an austere melody firmly planted in the Aeolian mode. On the original manuscript for this piece, Chopin wrote “After a performance of Hamlet.” Not wanting to give away his inspirational source, he later scratched the inscription out and replaced it with “No! Let them guess for themselves.” Knowing this, however, one can easily hear the Shakespearean influence over the entire piece, particularly in the opening measures. The middle portion of the work becomes more impassioned, driven by a slow chromatically descending bass line that leads to the distant key of F-sharp major. At the conclusion of this section, Chopin simply descends one more half-step in the bass to bring about a modulation into F major. In place of a reprise of the opening material, Chopin instead introduces a new thematic section marked religioso, presenting a choral-like tune of calm acceptance. Eventually the music is pulled towards D minor and from there returns to the tonic key in the final measures. However, the final chord of the piece bears a major third creating a peaceful and resigned conclusion. Joseph DuBose
Classical Music | Piano Music
Frédéric Chopin
Nocturne No. 6 in g minor, Op. 15, No. 3 Play
Recorded on 12/11/2010, uploaded on 12/11/2010
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Among forms that Chopin made his own was the Nocturne, a lyrical piano piece offering, nominally at least, a poetic vision of the night. The three Nocturnes of Opus 15 were published in 1834 with a dedication to Ferdinand Hiller, who had impressed Chopin as a boy with great talent. The third in the set is the gentle g minor Nocturne, marked Lento, languido e rubato (Slow, languid and freely). Ivan Ilić
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Nocturne in G minor, op. 15 no. 3 Frédéric Chopin
Chopin’s first nocturnes, his opus 9 published in 1833, were greatly influenced by the creator of the form, John Field. Published only a year later, his second set, opus 15, shows a rapid advancement in Chopin’s style and the bending of the form to his artistic will. A particularly indicative example of this stylistic change is the last nocturne of the set in G minor. Chopin here abandons the typical compound meter and arpeggiated accompaniment pattern and replaces it with triplet time, in a Lento tempo, and a chordal figure that seems to heave heavy sighs throughout the entire piece. Above it unfolds an austere melody firmly planted in the Aeolian mode. On the original manuscript for this piece, Chopin wrote “After a performance of Hamlet.” Not wanting to give away his inspirational source, he later scratched the inscription out and replaced it with “No! Let them guess for themselves.” Knowing this, however, one can easily hear the Shakespearean influence over the entire piece, particularly in the opening measures. The middle portion of the work becomes more impassioned, driven by a slow chromatically descending bass line that leads to the distant key of F-sharp major. At the conclusion of this section, Chopin simply descends one more half-step in the bass to bring about a modulation into F major. In place of a reprise of the opening material, Chopin instead introduces a new thematic section marked religioso, presenting a choral-like tune of calm acceptance. Eventually the music is pulled towards D minor and from there returns to the tonic key in the final measures. However, the final chord of the piece bears a major third creating a peaceful and resigned conclusion. Joseph DuBose
More music by Frédéric Chopin
Mazurka Op. 33 No. 1 in g-sharp minor
Waltz Op 34 N° 2
Mazurka Op 67 N° 4
Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2
Prelude in F major, Op. 28, No. 23, Moderato
Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp Minor, Op. 66
Impromptu no. 3 in G-flat major, op. 51
Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
Mazurka Op 63 N° 2
Fantasy, Op. 49
Performances by same musician(s)
Six Etudes of Chopin, transcribed for the left hand alone
Ballade No. 4 in B major, Andante con moto, Op. 10
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