The most famous of Chopin’s nocturnes: a singing melody over a rocking left hand, returning each time with richer ornaments.
The story
Chopin wrote it around 1830 to 31, at about twenty, and published it in Paris in 1832 with two other nocturnes, dedicated to the pianist Marie Pleyel.
The form is simple: the same melody comes back again and again, and each time Chopin decorates it a little more, the way an opera singer would.
Two things to know
- The nocturne as a piece for piano was invented by the Irish composer John Field; Chopin made it famous.
- It is written in 12/8: twelve eighth notes to a bar, felt as four slow beats.
How to play it
Keep the left hand soft and even like a slow waltz, and let the melody sing on top as if it were a voice.