One of my all-time favorite composers is Frederic Francois Chopin. He lived from 1810 to 1849, the Romantic period, and artistic and intellectual movement that emphasized imagination and nature in artistic expression. In response to the Industrial Revolution, Romanticists rejected social conventions for individualism, passion and intuition. All of which can be heard in the beauty of Chopin’s compositions.

Chopin composed 21 Nocturnes for the piano; however, he did not develop the stylistic music composition. That honor goes to John Field, who is viewed as the father of the Romantic nocturne. Nocturnes are a single movement character piece, often tranquil, lyrical, and with emotional expression. One can certainly hear the depth of emotion in Chopin’s Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72, No. 1.

The piece was composed when Chopin was 17 years old (1827) and a student in Warsaw. However, it was not published until 1855, six years after his death by Julian Fontana, his friend and musical executor. Rumor has it that Chopin never intended to publish this nocturne. One can guess the personal attachment he may have had to this piece.

The year Chopin wrote this Nocturne was the year his younger sister Emilia died of tuberculosis. She was only 14. Chopin had a very close relationship with his sister and was devastated by the loss. Although there is not a story attached to his writing this piece regarding the loss of his sister, you can hear the melancholy, nostalgia, and sorrow in the expression. The melody begins simple and song-like, almost a lament or prayer. As the piece progresses, you can feel the angst and grief collide as often happens when we lose a loved one. The nocturne resolves in quiet remembrance, almost a prayer for the loved one’s peace and promise to meet in the afterlife.

Please enjoy Maria Joao Pires performance of this beautiful piece. She captures a range of emotions that can bring a tear to your eye. She doesn’t speed through the piece but allows it to breathe. Her phrasing takes small, almost imperceptible pauses in places where we would catch our breath emotionally when a memory appears. Other times, she allows the music to soar as the emotions can often do when they overwhelm us. You can feel the sigh of resolution with the last chord.