#Chopin nocturn c sharp minor movie#
#Chopin nocturn c sharp minor free#

Immediately following the main theme is a repeat – only it’s not repeated exactly. Again, just a teeny-tiny pinch – it’s easy to go overboard. That being said, a great effect is made when the lowest bass notes are held ever-so-slightly longer, like a tenuto. Rubato, “rubber band tempo”, is often abused in Chopin’s compositions, but Chopin preferred to keep the left hand (the “orchestra”) relatively steady, while having more tempo flexibility in the right hand melody. One thing to keep in mind, if you’re learning this piece, is to not go wild with the rubato in the left hand. The tempo marking, Lento con gran espressione, means “slow with great expression”. These are wide broken chords, often spanning a distance of a 10 th, which requires fluid wrist movement. The main theme of the piece, which occurs twice (the second time after a brief interlude), features a beautiful melody over a backdrop of broken chords. Let’s take a quick listen to that intro! Main theme But not you – right?Īfter the intro, a beautiful melody enters and there’s no trace of solid chords anywhere. One thing less advanced pianists are wont to do is rely on the pedal to create that legato melody. It’s quiet, so it takes work to get each note to actually sound consistently. When switching chords you need to keep the top note of the chord smoothly transitioning to the next note – easy with a single melody line, but difficult when your melody is embedded in chords. Pianistically, this intro is tougher than it appears. The two phrases in the introduction are identical – the second phrase serving as a softer echo. The chords sound very resolute and sad and take some care to play in a way where everything sounds simultaneously, and without sounding heavy-handed. It’s all chordal, played with light and specific pedal. The introduction, 4 bars long, feels very formal and final compared to the rest of the piece. Ternary form is very simple and straightforward, with a main part (A), a contrasting section (B), and a return to the main part (A). The form here is ternary (three-part) form. Nocturnes are very expressive and melodically-driven, and usually with a moody character. This nocturne is written in common time but features lots of Chopin-esque tempo benders like expressive triplets and trills. The Holocaust survivor Natalia Karp played this piece for a Nazi concentration camp commandant, which impressed him enough to not kill her.

#Chopin nocturn c sharp minor movie#

It’s not in that movie for fictional reasons, however. One reason many people are familiar with this nocturne is that it appears in the movie The Pianist (twice – at the beginning and end). The challenges in this piece involve keeping the opening chords tight without being heavy, letting the trills flow effortlessly, and creating beautiful left hand shape.

I would consider it to be at an early advanced level.

Nocturne in C sharp minor is one of Chopin’s more accessible pieces as well – it’s not his easiest, but it’s around an RCM grade 9/ABRSM 7 level (Henle level 5). Good call on Chopin’s part to make an exercise for that Concerto – it’s extremely difficult! Pianistic challenges of the Nocturne He dedicated this piece to his sister Ludwika, saying “To my sister Ludwika as an exercise before beginning the study of my second Concerto”. It’s sometimes referred to by its tempo marking, Lento con gran espressione. This particular nocturne was written in 1830 but wasn’t published until 1870, 26 years after Chopin’s death. By today’s pop music standards that would be considered normal, but it was short against the backdrop of Classical music.

#Chopin nocturn c sharp minor free#

Get Free Chopin Course Nocturne in C sharp minor: DetailsĬhopin’s Nocturne in C sharp minor is a short piece – about 3.5 minutes long.