Nocturne No.18 in E Major Op.62 No.2
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Nocturne No.17 in B Major Op.62 No.1
Nocturne No.18 in E Major Op.62 No.2
The Irish pianist-composer John Field (1782-1837) was the first to use the French title, Nocturne, to designate a particular kind of reflective piano solo, but Chopin in his 21 Nocturnes most marvellously developed the genre. The last two, which make up Opus 62, were composed in 1846 and must rank as the greatest music in this form. They are outwardly dissimilar, the second in
E major being perhaps more mysterious and private than the gently autumnal musing of the first in B major. Common to both are the supple melodic lines and harmonic richness that make late Chopin especially satisfying.
© Eric Mason
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