Louis Lortie Plays Chopin, Vol. 3: Nocturnes, Impromptus & Sonata in B Minor, Op. 58

Featuring

Louis Lortie
Frédéric Chopin

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Compositional Technique

Chopin sometimes ended his Nocturnes with codas that dissipate rather than resolutely stop, creating a melting-away effect.

Interpretation

Pianist Louis Lortie plays a nocturne before a major Chopin composition to compensate for the lost art of improvising an introduction in the same key, making the nocturnes feel more improvisatory.

Composition History

Chopin did not publish his famous C sharp minor Impromptu (Fantaisie-Impromptu) because he considered it the private property of Baroness d'Est, to whom he gifted the manuscript in 1835.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Chopin's Nocturnes, derived from John Field's piano genre, retained their association with evening entertainment but also achieved a profound new depth, with listeners sensing a 'soul' within them.

Composition History

Chopin's Sonata in B minor, Op. 58, composed in 1845, helped revive the sonata genre, inspiring works by composers like Liszt, Thalberg, and Kalkbrenner.

Composition History

When Chopin first turned his attention to the impromptu around 1834, the genre was quite new, dating back only to 1817 with the Bohemian composer Jan Václav Voříšek.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Chopin's Impromptus, despite their name suggesting improvisation, were generally intended as pieces lacking pretension and aiming for casual entertainment rather than high artistic expression.