Progetto Martha Argerich

italiano

Works

Fryderyk Chopin

Two Nocturnes, Op. 48

 

More than any amount of talk, a hearing of Chopin’s Two Nocturnes, Op. 48 – composed in 1841 and dedicated to Laure Deperré – will suffice to contradict the notion that the nocturnes are basically salon pieces and that they represent the most superficial aspect of the Polish composer’s output. Indeed, these two pieces are of rather substantial dimensions and are very diverse in nature; some people are of the opinion that they mark the ideal beginning of Chopin’s late style, which is characterised by greater linguistic complexity and by the frequent presence of sorrowful and dramatic works. All of this is very clear from the first bars of the Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1, which begins like a funeral march and then develops into a vigorous, solemn chant that becomes more and more dramatic. On the other hand, the second nocturne, in F-sharp minor (Andantino), is of a more serene nature; it is presented as a long melody accompanied by arpeggios, with a more tense middle section, which, the composer advised, should be played “almost as a recitation”.

1. in do min.
2. in fa diesis min.

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