Nocturnes, Op.32
Nocturne · Op. 32
Frédéric Chopin 1810–1849
Nocturne
Form
Op. 32
Catalogue
Score
Listen
Finding a recording…
Difficulty
Our estimate Intermediate
—No community ratings yet0 votes
Sign in to add your rating.
Themes & character
Salon elegance·Abrupt dramatic ending·Published 1837·Understated pair
At a glance
- Catalogue
- Op. 32
- Form
- Nocturne
Movements
1
Nocturne in B majorB major
Graceful and songful, then broken off by an unexpected, almost violent recitative close.
2
Nocturne in A♭ majorA♭ major
Elegant and flowing, with a more agitated central episode.
About the piece
A pair of nocturnes published in 1837, less often performed than the surrounding sets but containing one of Chopin's boldest strokes. The first appears to be an elegant salon piece until its final bars, where the music suddenly halts and closes with a stark, declamatory gesture in the minor.
That abrupt ending has puzzled and fascinated pianists ever since, a reminder that Chopin's most graceful surfaces often conceal something harder underneath.
The composer
Frédéric Chopin
1810–1849
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the early Romantic period who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leading composer of his era whose "poetic genius was based on a professional technique that was without equal in his generation".
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
Loading…