Chopin Nocturne Essay

In this essay I will dicuss Frederic Chopin and his contribution to the noturne and the developments he made to the nocturne. I will provide a written analysis of one of Chopin’s later nocturnes opus 48. No.1 in C minor. I will critically analyse the score and comprise a brief discourse of the nocturne. Firstly, I will dicuss the nocturne and what is typical in Chopins nocturnes, finally I will critically analyse his nocturne in C minor.

A nocturne is a short composition that is usually composed for piano. Typically romantic by nature, they can be considered the foundation of romantic piano music. The nocturne is highly expressive and full of emotion with a lyrical like content and melody lines containing this self-expression and basis of romantic music. Generally in the form of ABA or ABAB the style of the nocturne can be described as a reasonably simple form however, they are highly accomplished, the left hand potentially playing arpeggiated chords and the right hand playing simple ornamentation such as thrills or the use of grace notes. A sense of development and progression in the later nocturnes is evident. There is a lot more colour to play with within the texture and harmony in the later

48 is a primary example of Chopin’s development and contribution to the nocturne. Chopin excelled in composing nocturnes. “Melodic and full of dramatic contrasts between light and dark colours, the nocturnes as a set are arguably his greatest works” (Campbell, J. 1985). In my opinion, Chopin’s nocturne in C minor is indisputably one his most powerful romantic works. Chopin is in-fact considered one of the greatest composers during the romantic era and his style is famous for his representation of grief and lament, a common theme found in many of his nocturnes. A characteristic that is typical of Chopin is embellishing the melody when it returns. These embellishments are also vocal like and incorporate the use of thrills, scales and