Nocturne

A nocturne is a musical composition inspired by the night — the name comes from the Latin 'nocturnus', meaning 'of the night'. The form was pioneered for piano by the Irish composer John Field in the 1810s and then elevated to an art form by Chopin, whose 21 nocturnes remain the pinnacle of the genre. Nocturnes typically feature a singing melody in the right hand over a gently rocking left-hand accompaniment, demanding a legato touch and sensitive pedalling. When practising a nocturne, prioritise tone colour above all else: let the melody float above the accompaniment as if the piano were breathing, and use rubato sparingly to shape phrases the way a singer would.