Nocturne is the French phrase for ‘nocturnal’ (occurring or energetic at night time). When utilized in reference to music, a nocturne refers to a chunk that has been impressed by (or conjures up pictures/emotions of) the night time.
Examples of a nocturne
There are quite a few nocturnes by well-known composers, together with examples by Debussy, Mendelssohn and Rachmaninoff. Nevertheless, along with his assortment of 21 nocturnes for solo piano, Chopin could be the composer that first springs to thoughts in relation to this fashion of music.
Maybe one of many best-known nocturnes from Chopin’s assortment is his Nocturne in E Flat Main, Opus 9, quantity 2, wherein the melody has a fascinating dreamlike high quality.
Who invented the nocturne?
Whereas Chopin could also be strongly related to nocturnes, it’s Irish composer John Subject who’s credited with their invention. Subject composed 18 nocturnes, the primary of which had been printed in 1814. Liszt would later describe Subject’s nocturnes as being as “soothing because the gradual, measured rocking of a ship or the swinging of a hammock”.
