Chopin Nocturne in C#m Op. 27, No. 1

Nathan Robeson playing Chopin's Nocturne in C#m Op. 27, No. 1.

James Huneker's comments:

The next Nocturne opus 27, No.1, brings us to a masterpiece. With the possible exception of the C minor Nocturne, this one in the somber key of C sharp minor is a great essay in the form. Kleczynski finds it "a description of a calm night at Venice , where, after a scene of a murder, the sea closes over a corpse and continues to mirror the moonlight"; which is melodramatic.

The wide-meshed figure of the left hand supports a morbid, persistent melody that grates on the nerves. From the "piu mosso" the agitation increases, and just here not the Beethovenish quality of these bars which continues till the change of key signature. There is a surprising climax followed by sunshine in the D flat part; then, after mounting dissonances a bold succession of octaves leads to the feverish plaint of the opening. The composition attains exalted states; its psychologic tension is at times so great as to lead the hearer to the border of the pathologic. There is a fantastic power in this Nocturne, which is seldom interrupted with sinister subtlety.

Henry T. Finck rightfully believes it "embodies a greater variety of emotion and more genuine dramatic spirit on four pages than many operas on four hundred."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• chopin
• nocturne
• classical
• piano
• frederic
• vladimir
• samoylovich
• horowitz
• music
• nathan

[piAn0pLayEr]

...The key in the last part is no longer C#m, it is Db...right?

[NathanChopin]

No it returns to the original key of C# after the D flat section and octaves.

[tan73h]

cool hat!

[Pimpinizing]

You guys should stop giving thumbs down to people who are pointing out your weaknesses. They are simply speaking the truth, and the mistakes they pointed out are ones that any trained piano player can see. The player can then take their constructive critisms the right way and try to improve in the areas he's lacking.

[Dracodeumonis]

@tan73h You know for some reason, I thought someone was going to make a comment like "LOLOL YOUR JEWSHI!" but you managed to make that statement better.

[Xavura]

Bravo.

[bummy33]

wow O_O very nice playing, and an amazing piano too!!!! I don't understand how there can be 21 dislikes. . . clearly anyone with a sensible ear can hear how beautiful this is played.

[maruskaist]

You are great sweetie! Another Rubinstein!!!!

[cryostate]

@ninjaassassin27 please don't feed the troll :(

[RichieCarvaliho]

Strange. It's difficult for me to know what emotions I'm feeling each time I hear this piece. All I know is it is one of favourite pieces and that I am confused at 16 thumbs down.

[Kaggypants]

@idlenessss Thank you for clarifying. :) Yes it does sound bad! I've been trying to figure out a way to stop my left hand from completely overpowering my right hand's tone in many pieces. I think I just got my answer! Thanks again.

[idlenessss]

@Kaggypants keep your finger stiff, and just let the weight of your arm press the note...use gravity. You get a softer, more even tone that way. Dont actually move any of your finger joints...just roll the wrist with stiff fingers to press the other notes. When you press with the finger joints instead, the tone is more stacatto, if you want that...but it usually just sounds bad, imo, for the base in nocturnes

[Kaggypants]

@idlenessss Can you elaborate? I don't understand. I'd like to improve my technique but I'm not even sure if I'm 'pressing' or using 'falling arm'.

[rolipoli]

@ninjaassassin27 ok