Hi guys,
Basically I am just finishing Chopin Nocturne Op37 No2 and i was wondering out of the following Nocturnes which would be the most logical step forward.
-Op 15 No.1
-Op 15 No.2
-Op27 No.1
-Op27 No.2

Thanks in advance

That's the G major one with all the double-notes? It's quite difficult, are you able to play it at performance speed? If it's comfortable for you, then do the F major Op. 15/1, it's not easy but it's musically quite valuable and underplayed.

Yes it is the one with the double notes.It did take alot of practice to get the double notes up to speed. Just need to refine it to make it sound better

People tend to regard Op. 48 No. 1 as the single most challenging Nocturne, but I think that Op. 37 No. 2 rivals it - even if it's apples to oranges since the respective skills are different.

Still, I'd say anybody who can play Op. 37 No. 2 proficiently could choose *any* of the others - so let your own taste guide you! (Op. 9 No. 3 is unusual for its length and mood, with a very challenging middle section. It's one of my favorites, and one you might consider.)

I would try Op.15 No.1 because of it has a particular power and because, as already stated, it is not so overplayed. Is there a particular reason why you only list Op.15 and Op.27?

I would go for the op 27. nocturnes.

Both very beautiful. 27 1 may be slightly easier but the op 27 2 will be slightly more difficulty as far as what I've attempted so far. Playing the op 37 2 and op 27 2 are some what similar as the melody in both are played with two simultaneous notes. It wouldn't be nothing new to you. The skill you learned from #12 will help a lot and I believe #8 would be the next logical step since that's what you asked for.

It is my belief that the nocturnes should be played as a pair if you can play both. Each opus set seems to compliment each other.

To further add to my reasoning to this I take this quote from one of Chopin's pupils Emilie von Gretsch describing Chopin playing his Op. 55 nocturnes.

"During the lesson Chopin played as I never heard him play before. He seemed to want to attain the ideal of his poetic spirit; after playing his nocturnes for me the first time, he apologized for not having expressed them as he wanted me to hear them, and he repeated them even more perfectly." - From a letter written by Chopin's pupils from 1842-44, Emilie von Gretsch, to her father"


It seems Chopin felt to fully convey the feelings he wanted get across the whole opus set should be played together.

At least that's what I get from it.

My point is you should learn both the op. 27 pair and since you know 37 2. learn 37 1. while your at it. It's arguably the easiest Nocturne Chopin wrote and you should be able to knock it out quickly and smoothly in no time. So you could play the whole op. 37 pair. Again I pull a quote from Chopin himself about the op. 37 pair

"I have a new nocturne in G major, which will form a pair with the one in G minor." - From a letter sent by Chopin to Fontana in Paris, Nohant 8 Aug 1839"

Again I understand it as him wanting them to be played together but it could be taken as they form a pair as just an op. set. You decide.

If my post was too long and seemed to ramble I'm sorry
any the point is

learn op. 27 1. and op. 27 2. as well as op. 37 1.

Hmmn i do love the Op 27 No.2 but im scared of that one bar. Ive also been thinking about the Op 62 No.2

Eleanor Bailie ranks the difficulty of the Nocturnes as follows:

Grade 6 - No.21 in C minor
Grade 7 - Op.9 No.2; Op.15 No.3: Op.37 No.1; Op.55 No.1; Op.72 No.1; Noct. No.20 in C sharp minor
Grade 8 - Op.9 No.1; Op.15 No.2; Op.27 No.2; Op.32 No.1 and 2; Op.48 No.2
Grade 8+ - Op.15 No.1; Op.27 No.1; Op.37 No.2; Op.48 No.1; Op.55 No.2; Op.62 No.1 and 2
Very Advanced - Op.9 No.3

ilovechopin - From a technical and interpretive standpoint, the Opus 62 No. 2 may be a bit of a stretch for you right now....

I agree with those who suggest the F major; I love this particular nocturne. And as they said, it is underplayed. The B section can be dicey though; the first time around I never completely mastered it. Hope to return to it in a few months.

Why are you limiting yourself to the Nocturnes? Chopin wrote some wonderful Preludes, Mazurkas and Waltzes that should be well within your current grasp - plus (based on info you provided in another thread) there are works by other composers you haven't attempted yet.

Reading this thread reminded me of my first work-out with the Nocturne in G major, Op 37 No 2 a couple of years ago. I was never very happy with the results of my attempt and I think that this is a good time to re-visit the work.

I started working on it again this morning and I'm amazed, still, at how fresh the work seems to be. I don't think I'd ever get bored with it, even through the repetitions.

How many different keys or tonal centres are there in this Nocturne; which would be considered tonal centres and which would simply be modulations working towards a different tonal centre or key? How many other works of Chopin go through so many modulations?

Regards,

Thats exactly what O love about this Nocturne all the modulations.

I never knew they were meant to be played as a pair. I assume that if i learn the Op.15 1/2 i should also learn the 15/3

Assuming you agree with the assertion that Chopin actually intended all of the works in each opus to be played as a SET, then yes. But even Vinn says that this is open to interpretation. In reality, there are three works in both Opus 9 and 15, two each in Opus 27, 32, 37, 48, 55 and 62, and one in Opus 72.

Oh nvm

Or maybe Chopin just felt like playing those two together on that day or had just finished composing those two. Using the same argument one could argue that any two or more of Chopin's compositions he happened to perform after one another were meant to be performed that way.

"Form a pair" could just as easily meant "be published in the same opus" number. A single Nocturne would probably not be considered enough material for an entire opus number. When the Nocturnes are played in concert, it's quite rare that an entire opus are performed together.

If you look carefully, that was just my opinion and by no means the end all, final word on the subject.


True that the nocturnes are not played as a set today but can you prove they were not played that way back in the 1830/40's?

The Nocturnes were not written as concert performance pieces they were written as Salon pieces to be played in private intimate quarters for a small party. Chopin himself may have never played in public often but his published music was very popular and when he published a new op. set it is very likely the people who played them in the Salons played the entire set. As an individual Nocturne is rather short, the entire opus is likely to have been played. Again they were high class intimate party pieces not concert repertoire.

Again this is only speculation, I don't have any proof for but neither do you against it.

I don't think saying something is very likely and in the next paragraph say it's speculation is particularly reasonable. Nor do I think not having proof something wasn't done is a justification for saying it was done. Some goes for saying that since Nocturnes were short the entire opus would be played...what about playing some previously written work by Chopin?

I don't know why 'pair' would mean *anything* but a reference to one being in G minor and the other in G major.

If you can play Op 37 No. 2 you can play Op 27 No. 2. I'm not sure which bar you are referring to as there as several tricky passages in 27-2. The other Nocturne I love is Op 9 No. 3.

Sorry for not making it clear.I was referring to the cadenza 48 note run.

Learn the RH separately with fingerings by starting with the first 8 notes and then gradually add more notes, figure out which notes should be played at the beat and half beat (not all them line up), and put both hands together. I think the trick to making it flow is to memorize the entire bar.

How about op 27 no 1? It shouldn't be that much of a problem if you can handle op 37 no 2.