Nocturne no. 1

“Nocturne” comes from the same Latin word, nocturnus, as the word nocturnal, referring most commonly to creatures whose activities are limited primarily to the night. The nocturne is a musical work made perhaps most famous by Romantic piano composers such as Frédéric Chopin, who wrote 21 of them. The pieces are generally solemn and tranquil, often gloomy. This piece takes this contemplative approach and intersperses it with hints of dreamy terror and triumph.