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Source: Frédéric Chopin, by Hugo Leichtentritt. (J. S. Preuss, Berlin, 1905)
The Nocturnes
The Nocturnes are short works in a slower tempo, often with a more animated middle section. These compositions have an elegiac, Romanz, or reverie-like character. The form had its first flowering in the works by John Field. Chopin based his efforts on Field, yet surpassed him in every way. For a long time the Nocturnes were the best-loved of Chopin’s compositions. This is explained, especially, in that they are technically easier to manage than many of Chopin’s works, and by the central, extensive role of the cantilena; which is more pronounced than elsewhere in Chopin, and with most pieces having beautiful melodies in the customary sense of the word, from beginning to end. Sometimes these melodies even reach the point of a soft, sentimental, or too-sweet character. Chopin was composing at times for the salons of Paris. Yet the Nocturnes, overall, have so much artistic worth that they deserve recognition as a precious legacy. [ … ]
(Translation by Edward Eggleston)
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Recordings:
The Hoopla service offers many recordings of the Nocturnes. A recent search yielded 5 complete sets, and 51 recordings overall. Among these one finds performances by Artur Rubinstein and Vladimir Ashkenazy, both known for excellent interpretations of Chopin’s music.
Please note that although Homewood Library offers Hoopla services, this is not true for all public libraries in the Jefferson County AL system.
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