The Chopin nocturnes constitute 21 short pieces for solo piano written by Frédéric Chopin between 1827 and 1846. They are generally considered among the finest short solo works for the instrument and hold an important place in contemporary concert repertoire. Although Chopin did not invent the nocturne, he popularized and expanded on it, building on the form developed by Irish composer John Field.
The nocturnes numbered 1 to 18 were published during his life, in twos or threes, in the order of composition. Numbers 19 and 20 were actually written first, prior to Chopin's departure from Poland, but published posthumously. Number 20 was not originally entitled "nocturne" at all, but since publication in 1870 as such, is generally included with publications and recordings of the set.
Chopin and Field
Chopin had a very interesting relationship with Field, practically all of it indirect. By the time of Chopin’s birth in 1810 Field was already an accomplished composer. Eventually, the young Chopin became a great admirer of Field, taking some influence from the Irish composer’s playing and composing technique.
It was almost irony that highlighted this relationship. In his youth, Chopin was often told that he sounded like Field, while later in time Field was described as sounding “Chopinesque.” The composer Friedrich Kalkbrenner, one of Chopin’s greatest influencers and early teachers, once inquired as to whether Chopin was a student of Field. Another ironic facet was that while Chopin held Field in high respect and considered him one of his primary influences, Field had a rather negative view of Chopin’s work. It was even reported at one point that, upon meeting Chopin and hearing his nocturnes in 1832, Field described the composer as a “sickroom talent.” Nonetheless, Chopin still admired Field and his work and continued to take inspiration throughout his life.
“The Chopin Nocturne”
Chopin’s nocturnes carry many similarities with those of Field while at the same time retaining a distinct, unique sound of their own. One aspect of the nocturne that Chopin continued from Field is the use of the right-hand melody as a vocal melody. This is one of the most if not the most important features to the nocturne as a whole. The use of the melody as vocals bestowed a greater emotional depth to the piece, and drawing the listener in to a greater extent. Along with the right-hand melody, Chopin continued the use of another nocturne “necessity,” that of playing broken chords on the left hand to act as the rhythm under his right-handed “vocal” melody. Another technique used by Field and continued by Chopin was the more extensive use of the pedal. By using the pedal more, the music gains more emotional expression through sustained notes, giving the piece an aura of drama.With these main attributes of the “Field nocturne” Chopin was inspired, and expanded upon them to develop the “Chopin nocturne.”
One of the greatest innovations made by Chopin to the nocturne was his use of a more freely flowing rhythm, a technique based from the classical music style. Also, Chopin further developed the structure of the nocturne, taking inspiration from the Italian and French Operas, as well as the sonata form. Composer Franz Liszt even insisted that Chopin’s nocturnes were influenced by Vincenzo Bellini’s “Bel Canto” operas, a statement affirmed and echoed by many in the music world. A further innovation of Chopin’s was his use of counter-point to create tension in the nocturnes, a method that even further expanded the dramatic tone and feel of the piece itself. It was mainly through these themes of operatic influence, freer rhythms, and an expansion into more complex structures and melodic playing that Chopin made his mark on the nocturne.Many think of the “Chopin nocturne” as a mix between the form and structure of Field and the sound of Mozart, displaying a classic/romantic-influenced theme within the music.
Form
While meters and keys vary, the nocturnes are generally set in ternary form (A-B-A), featuring a melancholy mood, and a clear melody floating over a left-hand accompaniment of arpeggios or broken chords. Repetitions of the main theme generally add increasingly ornate embellishments, notably in Opus 9 No. 2 in E♭. From the 7th and 8th nocturnes onwards, Chopin published them in contrasting pairs, although each can stand alone as a complete work. Exceptions to the ternary form pattern include Opus 9 No. 2 and Op. 55 No. 2 in E♭, neither of which contain a contrasting section, Op. 15 No. 3 in binary form with a novel coda, and Op. 37 No. 2 in ABABA form.
The tempo marking of all but one of the nocturnes is a variation of Lento, Larghetto or Andante, the Allegretto of No. 3 breaking the mould.
Influence
When first published, Chopin’s nocturnes were met with mixed reactions from critics, though many of them were not in his favor. However, through the process of time, many who had initially been displeased with the nocturnes found themselves retracting previous criticisms, holding the short compositions in high respect.
While the popularity of individual nocturnes has varied considerably since Chopin's death, they have retained a significant position in the piano repertoire, with the Op. 9 No. 2 in E♭ major and the Op. 27 No. 2 in D♭ major perhaps the most enduringly popular.
Various composers from both Chopin’s life time and later have expressed their influence from his work with nocturnes. Such artists as Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner display similar melodic technique and style in their music as Chopin. Other composers such as Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Liszt described the genius that lay within Chopin’s nocturnes.It is clear that these short piano compositions made a noticeable and forever lasting impact on music and composition during the romantic period.
List of nocturnes
No.  | Key | Opus | Published | Composed | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ minor | Op. 9 No. 1 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 2 | E♭ major | Op. 9 No. 2 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 3 | B major | Op. 9 No. 3 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 4 | F major | Op. 15 No. 1 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 5 | F♯ major | Op. 15 No. 2 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 6 | G minor | Op. 15 No. 3 | 1833 | 1833 |  |
| 7 | C♯ minor | Op. 27 No. 1 | 1835 | 1835 |  |
| 8 | D♭ major | Op. 27 No. 2 | 1837 | 1835 |  |
| 9 | B major | Op. 32 No. 1 | 1837 | 1837 |  |
| 10 | A♭ major | Op. 32 No. 2 | 1837 | 1837 |  |
| 11 | G minor | Op. 37 No. 1 | 1840 | 1838 |  |
| 12 | G major | Op. 37 No. 2 | 1840 | 1839 |  |
| 13 | C minor | Op. 48 No. 1 | 1841 | 1841 |  |
| 14 | F♯ minor | Op. 48 No. 2 | 1841 | 1841 |  |
| 15 | F minor | Op. 55 No. 1 | 1844 | 1842-1844 |  |
| 16 | E♭ major | Op. 55 No. 2 | 1844 | 1842-1844 |  |
| 17 | B major | Op. 62 No. 1 | 1846 | 1846 |  |
| 18 | E major | Op. 62 No. 2 | 1846 | 1846 |  |
| 19 | E minor | Op. 72 No. 1 | 1855 | 1827-29 |  |
| 20 | C♯ minor | Op. P 1 No. 16 | 1870 | 1830 |  |
| 21 | C minor | Op. P 2 No. 8 | 1870 | 1837 |
（wiki）
關於肖邦夜曲的一些網上摘文：
夜曲（Norturne）的語源係拉丁語NOX所演變，羅馬時代“夜神”之意。夜曲的音樂形式，係愛爾蘭的音樂家費爾德（Filed 1782-1837）所製，在低音部和弦伴奏下，高音部奏出夜的寂靜，似夢一般優雅的旋律。之所以給這種形式命名為“夜曲”，可能取自天主教會的“夜禱”。
肖邦音樂中的夢幻感是意境濃密，情致萬繁，萬般迷人的。而最能讓我們陶醉於這一詩一般夢境的，就是他的夜曲。肖邦的夜曲，一共21首，其中有兩首是沒有編號的。他將夜曲發展成為意境深遠的體裁，遠遠地超越了費爾德。正像哈聶卡所評述的那樣：“肖邦是把費爾德的形式築高，吹進戲劇性的氣息，熱情，使之更加壯大。費爾德的夜曲是樸素的牧歌形。肖邦所努力的不是單純的表達，而是經過裝飾，太過於陰鬱、熱帶性，或說帶有東方的氣息。”
鋼琴家魯賓斯坦演繹的肖邦夜曲全集，可能是因為他與肖邦同屬波蘭人，作品中高貴而憂鬱的氣質被恰到好處的展示出來，如某個作家說的那樣，你聽魯賓斯坦演奏的肖邦夜曲可以當成是作曲家本人在彈琴，因為實在想像不出這夜曲還有別的彈法。（http://blog.bandao.cn/archive/33593/blogs-326421.aspx）
肖邦寫過的《夜曲》太多了.
其中著名的有降b小調 夜曲 （作品9之1） 本曲作於1830-1831年間。作品9中共有三首夜曲，這是肖邦最早出版的夜曲。而作品9之1則是肖邦夜曲的"最初之最初"，其旋律非常優美，情緒極為豐富。
樂曲的構成是：甚緩板，6/4拍，三段形式。第一段旋律充滿柔和而朦朧的魅力，節奏處理十分自由；樂曲的中段由八度音奏出降D大調的旋律，這是非常甜蜜的旋律，此曲之所以能使人迷醉，也全在這一部分。肖邦一生總共創作了21首夜曲。夜曲這種體裁在傳統上主要用於表現深夜的寧靜，旋律通常如夢一般清幽、柔美。肖邦的夜曲並不隻是單純地繼承了傳統夜曲的表現風格，而是使夜曲的形式趨向自由，內容也多樣化了，變得更加熱情、更加完美。
肖邦的夜曲集，一直是我喜歡的古典音樂作品。今天外出淘碟，終於把心儀的葡萄牙女鋼琴家皮雷斯的版本找到了，真是不虛此行。在此之前，我已收有魯賓斯坦，傅聰和弗朗索瓦的肖邦。也曾找到過一套阿勞的肖邦，後送給一朋友了。
皮雷斯以女性特有的細膩和溫柔，將肖邦夜曲深邃的意境，近乎完美的再現。營造出一種行雲流水般酣暢的質感。每一顆音符都晶瑩透亮，鮮活，充滿詩意。
以最著名的降b小調第一號夜曲為例，這也是肖邦最有名的夜曲之一，音樂起處，就令人想到夜空的熠熠星光。聽著她的演奏，仿佛置身在夜幕下的花園，獨自躺在草地上，細數天上的星星，漸漸墜入夢鄉......
皮雷斯給了夜曲一種舒緩的意境，她在速度上較慢的處理，使夜曲呈現出一種悠遠的情境。淡了憂傷，隻留下純粹溫柔的夜，靜謐而安詳。 http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/47308356
