Nocturnes Op. 9 (Chopin)

The Nocturnes, Op. 9 are a set of three nocturnes written by Frédéric Chopin between 1830 and 1831 and dedicated to Madame Camille Pleyel.

Nocturne in B flat minor, Op. 9, No. 1

This nocturne has a rhythmic freedom that came to characterise Chopin’s later work. The left hand has an unbroken sequence of quavers in simple arpeggios throughout the entire piece, while the right hand moves with freedom in patterns of eleven, twenty, and twenty-two notes. The opening section moves into a contrasting middle section, which flows back to the opening material in a transitional passage where the melody floats above seventeen consecutive bars of D-flat major chords. The reprise of the first section grows out of this and the nocturne concludes peacefully.

Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 9, No. 2

This popular nocturne is in rounded binary form (A, A, B, A, B, A) with coda, C. The A and B sections become increasingly ornamented with each recurrence. The penultimate bar utilizes considerable rhythmic freedom, indicated by the instruction, "senza tempo" (without tempo).

Nocturne in B major, Op. 9 No. 3

It is in the ternary form A-B-A .the first section (Allegretto).The second contrasting section(Agitato)is a very dramatic one with a combined melody & counter-melody in the right hand and triplets in the left hand throughout this section which needs a great amount of virtuosity. The piece is full of coloratura ornaments, and ends with a wide chord in the left hand accompanied with (senza tempo) right hand triplets in a high octave to lead to a legatissimo smorzando adagio

External links

* [http://chopinproject.com/2007/12/19/nocturne-in-e-flat-op-9-no-2-wadditional-cadenzas/ Hear the performance of the Op. 9 No. 2 Nocturne with original cadenzas] at [http://www.chopinproject.com/ The Chopin Project]
* [http://pianostudioone.ca/nocturne.wma Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2 performed by Fredrick Pritchard]
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