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Contents:
DDD Total Time = 65:14 / Recorded at Sala Nezahualcoyoti, Mexico City, Eleven Nocturnes for piano In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the term ‘notturno’ referred to vocal or instrumental compositions which were generally played outdoors. Hadyn, for instance, composed eight Notturnos for King Ferdinand IV of Naples, and Mozart a Serenata notturna (KV 239). But it is the Irish pianist and composer John Field (1782-1837) who invented the nocturne for piano at the beginning of the nineteenth century. He gave this title to a number of his short pieces (written between 1812 and 1835) characterized by an expressive melody in the right hand accompanied in the left by broken chords. However, the keyboard writing associated with this genre had already been extensively used in France by the end of the eighteenth century and a composer like Louis Adam wrote several piano sonatas which include movements similar in style, entitled "Romance". All these pieces are charming and elegant but often somewhat insipid, and it was Chopin who brought the genre to its perfection. In his Nocturnes, he displays his unique melodic gift (very much influenced by the bel canto operas of his time) and his extraordinary ability to renew the accompaniment.Of the twenty-one Nocturnes composed by Chopin, eleven are presented here. They show a wide range of emotions and mood, from the gracious (Op. 9 and 15) and the serene (Op. 27 No. 2) to the intensely dramatic (Op. 48 No. 1). Dedicated to Marie Pleyel, the wife of the famous publisher and piano virtuoso Camille Pleyel, the Nocturnes Op. 9 were composed in 1830-31 and are still much influenced by Field. The Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major (Andante) recorded here is one of the most popular. With its beautiful and decorated theme in the right hand supported by a series of regular chords in the left, it is a good example of bel canto adapted to the piano. The Three Nocturnes Op. 15 date from the same period and are dedicated to the German pianist, composer and conductor Ferdiand Heller. But they are much more original than the Op. 9, the keyboard textures being more personal. The Nocturne Op. 15 No. 1 in F major (Andante cantabile) is in the ternary form ABA. In the first and third sections, a beautiful melody sings over a quiet accompaniment in the left hand creating an atmosphere of peace. With its outburst of semi-quavers the stormy middle section (con fuoco) provides a striking contrast and is somewhat reminiscent of the Ballade No. 2 Op. 38 in the same key. The Nocturne Op. 15 No. 2 in F sharp major (Larghetto) is also cast in the ternary form ABA with a middle section (Doppio movimento) using a complex superposition of rhythms. The Two Nocturnes Op. 27 were composed in 1835 and are dedicated to the Countess Apponyi. She was the wife of the Austrian ambassador in Paris and Chopin was very often received in her musical salon. The Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 in d flat major (Lento sostenuto) illustrates perfectly the idea of serenity attached to the night. Singing over a quiet accompaniment, the beautiful and lyrical theme is presented three times, each time with more elaborate ornamentation. The Nocturne Op. 32 No. 1 in B major (Andante sostenuto) was composed in 1836-37 and is dedicated to the baroness de Billing, one of Chopin’s pupils. Rich in harmonic refinements and beautiful modulations, this gentle piece ends by an unexpected and dramatic recitative turning to the minor mode, with something akin to the Ballade No. 1 Op. 23 in g minor composed in 1835. The Two Nocturnes Op. 48 were completed during the autumn of 1841. They are dedicated to one of Chopin’s favorite pupils, Laure Duperré. One of the major works of the composer, the Nocturne Op. 48 No. 1 in c minor (Lento) is an impressive and tragic masterpiece breaking new musical ground. Its dark and austere solemnity is combined with an intensity at times almost unbearable. In contrast, the wistful and gentle Nocturne Op. 48 No. 2 in f sharp minor (Andantino) seems more serene. The lyrical Nocturne Op. 55 No. 2 in E flat major (Lento sostenuto) was composed in 1843 and is dedicated to Jane Stirling, a pupil and close friend of the composer. It is a kind of duet for the right hand over a regular and sinuous accompaniment in triplets. Composed in 1846, the Two Nocturnes Op. 62 are dedicated to another pupil of Chopin, Mrs de Könneritz. The expansive and contrasted Nocturne Op. 62 No. 1 in B major (Andante) is full of contrapuntal writing and chromatic harmony while the atmosphere of the middle section, marked Sostenuto, is truly poetic. The Nocturne Op. 62 No. 2 in E major (Lento) opens with a long and warm melody over a regular accompaniment. Then a short episode strewn with unexpected and enigmatic modulations leads to an agitato middle section. The first theme returns briefly and the modulating episode ends the piece quietly. Despite its late opus number, the Nocturne Op. 72 in e minor (Andante) is in fact an early piece composed in 1827 when Chopin was seventeen, but it was only published posthumously in 1855. This fact accounts for its simple form still very much influenced by Field. Over a quiet and unbroken accompaniment in triplets, two expressive themes are developed, the first sometimes played in octave or delicately ornamented while the second, more passionate, must be played ‘aspiramente’ .Page revised 27.06.03 |
