Chopin Nocturne C Sharp minor op 27 #1 Valentina Lisitsa

This is an enigma of a nocturne. There are many things written about it , all trying to explain it away, to make sense of it. You probably heard about " death in Venice, murder perhaps.. ....body silently covered by soft waves while the moon keeps shining etc ".....Ah , all this romantic stuff - I will add just my two cents worth, no more ...
If Nocturnes are indeed songs of love , this one has strong undertones of jealousy , betrayal and , ultimately , death.
It hauntingly fascinating -- but you can't call it beautiful. Just think about the meloldy here - where is it ??? and can you call this strange and gratingly chromatic chant a melody ? Or .... another question , which key IS it -- C sharp minor or major? Is it a half-smile or half-cry?...The melody very soon becomes a duet -- and then middle part comes all of a sudden as a violent burst of energy and action. I don't recall any other piece of Chopin (supposedly effeminate and weakling invalid of a composer ) where he would use triple forte- fortissimo so boldly ( that is like FFF forte !)The octave recitative in the left hand before the recap sounds like a curse . The most telling and poignant remark however is reserved for the very last "words" of the duet before the coda: Chopin writes " con duolo" (with grief) - the last farewell of unhappy lovers perhaps...
PS.
For those visual people ( like myself LOL) here is a perfect visual match : type pre-Raphaelites into Google image search -- you will see "Ophelia" and many others that fit the mood and color of the piece perfectly 

PSPS. On understanding composer's intent: Chopin often uses remark "con anima". Don't mix it with "animato" . Yes , the root is the same but the meaning and action is opposite. It was made very clear in this nocturne -- in the middle part there are measures marked "con anima" and then come the ones marked "stretto"."Con anima" bars are slowing down. He treated con anima literally -- "with soul" -- not "in an animated way". Russian language has a better direct translation "душевно"!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Chopin
• Valentina
• val
• Lisitsa
• Nocturne
• C#minor
• Cis
• Moll
• piano
• fortissimo
• death
• in
• Venice
• душевно
• con
• anima
• duolo
• pre-Raphaelities
• Ophelia

[ThePianoguy89]

I love this piece by Chopin! Valentina is amazing and Chopin is my favorite composer!

[jhardknox]

This nocturne has two subjects, A & B. The first is gloomy in coloring. It is like the melancholy lament of one who is done with life. In the second, silent resignation gives way to bitterness and resentment, which, after climaxing in the first two turns, veers to the extremes of covetous desires, to passionate longing for the pleasures of the world. In greatest ecstacy succeeds, weak and exhausted, the repetition of the first subject, A.

[cardcuts96]

@jhardknox i bet on that you found that on the sheet music on IMSLP... :p

[Luutzen007]

huh?? test

[jhardknox]

@jhardknox The beautiful coda with its spiritual coloring is beneficent & conciliatory in effect, like many Chopin compositions, the outpourings of highest passion are followed by motives of religious character.

[DafniElissa]

Hi Valentina, I just chose this Nocturne to study, after I did the op.9 number 1, last year. I love your interpretation the most, I'm gonna be inspired by it a lot! And I adore your comment down here, and I was really glad to find out you associated it with Ophelia of the Preraphaelites (maybe the Waterhouse, or more the Millais, I guess :) ) 'cause I absolutely love them, too. thanks for your precious work and your sharing it with us, you're a great woman :)

[MrNinel661]

Это мой любимый ноктюрн. Пианистка исполнила его очень выразительно и проникновенно.Её искусство неподражаемо и заслуживает самой высокой оценки!!!

[greenpokerchip]

I love you miss. thank you for all these great piano revivals. You're helping me to study.

[Alexa4Alexa]

Perfect!

[JamesinLA1]

This nocture, which I used to play, has always for me evoked an image of soaring through the sky. But I'm writing to say that seeing Ms. Lisitsa play this piece was poetry in itself and apart from the beautiful performance and beautiful music of Chopin.

[RockinSim]

Yes, it is like watching an entire movie endeed.