Chopin composed his nocturnes between 1829 and 1847. In the 18th century, notturno (Nocturne, Nokturne, Nachtstück) referred to a piece of instrumental music performed in the open air at night. As such, it was akin to the serenade, but in terms of mood the two genres differ. Nocturnes express in music the feelings of nighttime solitude. Chopin was probably influenced by the nocturnes of John Field, adopting the genre for his own music, and transforming it to suit his own personality. These pieces, typically written in a ternary song form (A-B-A) are Chopin's most personal confessions in music.

This publication is recommended for intermediate pianists.