Chopin's Nocturne Opus 9 No.2 in E flat

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Chopin's Nocturne

Opus 9 No.2 in E flat

The popular image of Fryderyk Chopin as a consumptive invalid does him a disservice. He was a man of paradoxes: a Polish nationalist who lived out his days in exile in France; a musician who hated giving public concerts; a composer whose piano works were replete with the influence of bel canto opera, and whose idols in the early Romantic era were Bach and Mozart. Lavishly melodic yet classically restrained, visionary in imagination yet tautly constructed, his was one of the most individual musical voices of his era.

 

Chopin's minimal score allows pianists plenty of room for imagination.

Jon Tolansky

This episode of Comparing Notes is a little different from Jon Tolansky's usual format. The broadcaster and music journalist looks at Chopin's score for the little Nocturne Opus 9 No.2 in E flat major, which like many of his scores was quite basic, along with notes taken from his students, to try and figure out how Chopin might have wanted this piece of music to sound. 

 

With this in mind, Jon then looks at five significant recordings to compare and contrast the differing artistic interpretations.  

http://www.sinfinimusic.com/uk/listen/guides/comparing-notes/chopin-nocturne-opus-9-no-2