A musical prompt for today. This piece is an old favorite of mine that I’ve recently started re-learning (slow process!): Frederic Chopin’s Nocturne in C sharp Minor, Op. 27 no. 1, performed by Artur Rubinstein.

I first learned this piece when I was thirteen. The name “nocturne,” “night music,” gives us a sense of the atmosphere Chopin had in mind when he wrote it. Chopin often delves into storytelling in his solo piano pieces, especially the nocturnes and his four Ballades. Each of them takes the listener on a journey, exploring emotional contrasts and conjuring up all kinds of images and ideas.

I love this particular nocturne because of its excitement and drive, and the arc of tension that gradually builds to a catharsis. When I first learned it, I created my own stories to go with it, imagining that the music was the soundtrack to a movie and thinking about what the action would be.

As you listen to this piece, what does it conjure up for you?

As always, thank you for visiting the blog. See you next time!