The Chopin nocturnes constitute 21 short pieces for solo piano written by Frédéric Chopin between 1827 and 1846. They are generally considered among the finest short solo works for the instrument and hold an important place in contemporary concert repertoire. Although Chopin did not invent the nocturne, he popularized and expanded on it, building on the form developed by Irish composer John Field.
The nocturnes numbered 1 to 18 were published during his life, in twos or threes, in the order of composition. Numbers 19 and 20 were actually written first, prior to Chopin's departure from Poland, but published posthumously. Number 20 was not originally entitled "nocturne" at all, but since publication in 1870 as such, is generally included with publications and recordings of the set.
Chopin and Field
Chopin had a very interesting relationship with Field, practically all of it indirect. By the time of Chopin’s birth in 1810 Field was already an accomplished composer. Eventually, the young Chopin became a great admirer of Field, taking some influence from the Irish composer’s playing and composing technique.
It was almost irony that highlighted this relationship. In his youth, Chopin was often told that he sounded like Field, while later in time Field was described as sounding “Chopinesque.” The composer Friedrich Kalkbrenner, one of Chopin’s greatest influencers and early teachers, once inquired as to whether Chopin was a student of Field. Another ironic facet was that while Chopin held Field in high respect and considered him one of his primary influences, Field had a rather negative view of Chopin’s work. It was even reported at one point that, upon meeting Chopin and hearing his nocturnes in 1832, Field described the composer as a “sickroom talent.” Nonetheless, Chopin still admired Field and his work and continued to take inspiration throughout his life.
“The Chopin Nocturne”
Chopin’s nocturnes carry many similarities with those of Field while at the same time retaining a distinct, unique sound of their own. One aspect of the nocturne that Chopin continued from Field is the use of the right-hand melody as a vocal melody. This is one of the most if not the most important features to the nocturne as a whole. The use of the melody as vocals bestowed a greater emotional depth to the piece, and drawing the listener in to a greater extent. Along with the right-hand melody, Chopin continued the use of another nocturne “necessity,” that of playing broken chords on the left hand to act as the rhythm under his right-handed “vocal” melody. Another technique used by Field and continued by Chopin was the more extensive use of the pedal. By using the pedal more, the music gains more emotional expression through sustained notes, giving the piece an aura of drama.With these main attributes of the “Field nocturne” Chopin was inspired, and expanded upon them to develop the “Chopin nocturne.”
One of the greatest innovations made by Chopin to the nocturne was his use of a more freely flowing rhythm, a technique based from the classical music style. Also, Chopin further developed the structure of the nocturne, taking inspiration from the Italian and French Operas, as well as the sonata form. Composer Franz Liszt even insisted that Chopin’s nocturnes were influenced by Vincenzo Bellini’s “Bel Canto” operas, a statement affirmed and echoed by many in the music world. A further innovation of Chopin’s was his use of counter-point to create tension in the nocturnes, a method that even further expanded the dramatic tone and feel of the piece itself. It was mainly through these themes of operatic influence, freer rhythms, and an expansion into more complex structures and melodic playing that Chopin made his mark on the nocturne.Many think of the “Chopin nocturne” as a mix between the form and structure of Field and the sound of Mozart, displaying a classic/romantic-influenced theme within the music.
Form
While meters and keys vary, the nocturnes are generally set in ternary form (A-B-A), featuring a melancholy mood, and a clear melody floating over a left-hand accompaniment of arpeggios or broken chords. Repetitions of the main theme generally add increasingly ornate embellishments, notably in Opus 9 No. 2 in E♭. From the 7th and 8th nocturnes onwards, Chopin published them in contrasting pairs, although each can stand alone as a complete work. Exceptions to the ternary form pattern include Opus 9 No. 2 and Op. 55 No. 2 in E♭, neither of which contain a contrasting section, Op. 15 No. 3 in binary form with a novel coda, and Op. 37 No. 2 in ABABA form.
The tempo marking of all but one of the nocturnes is a variation of Lento, Larghetto or Andante, the Allegretto of No. 3 breaking the mould.
Influence
When first published, Chopin’s nocturnes were met with mixed reactions from critics, though many of them were not in his favor. However, through the process of time, many who had initially been displeased with the nocturnes found themselves retracting previous criticisms, holding the short compositions in high respect.
While the popularity of individual nocturnes has varied considerably since Chopin's death, they have retained a significant position in the piano repertoire, with the Op. 9 No. 2 in E♭ major and the Op. 27 No. 2 in D♭ major perhaps the most enduringly popular.
Various composers from both Chopin’s life time and later have expressed their influence from his work with nocturnes. Such artists as Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner display similar melodic technique and style in their music as Chopin. Other composers such as Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Liszt described the genius that lay within Chopin’s nocturnes.It is clear that these short piano compositions made a noticeable and forever lasting impact on music and composition during the romantic period.
List of nocturnes
No.  | Key | Opus | Published | Composed | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ minor | Op. 9 No. 1 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 2 | E♭ major | Op. 9 No. 2 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 3 | B major | Op. 9 No. 3 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 4 | F major | Op. 15 No. 1 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 5 | F♯ major | Op. 15 No. 2 | 1833 | 1830-1832 |  |
| 6 | G minor | Op. 15 No. 3 | 1833 | 1833 |  |
| 7 | C♯ minor | Op. 27 No. 1 | 1835 | 1835 |  |
| 8 | D♭ major | Op. 27 No. 2 | 1837 | 1835 |  |
| 9 | B major | Op. 32 No. 1 | 1837 | 1837 |  |
| 10 | A♭ major | Op. 32 No. 2 | 1837 | 1837 |  |
| 11 | G minor | Op. 37 No. 1 | 1840 | 1838 |  |
| 12 | G major | Op. 37 No. 2 | 1840 | 1839 |  |
| 13 | C minor | Op. 48 No. 1 | 1841 | 1841 |  |
| 14 | F♯ minor | Op. 48 No. 2 | 1841 | 1841 |  |
| 15 | F minor | Op. 55 No. 1 | 1844 | 1842-1844 |  |
| 16 | E♭ major | Op. 55 No. 2 | 1844 | 1842-1844 |  |
| 17 | B major | Op. 62 No. 1 | 1846 | 1846 |  |
| 18 | E major | Op. 62 No. 2 | 1846 | 1846 |  |
| 19 | E minor | Op. 72 No. 1 | 1855 | 1827-29 |  |
| 20 | C♯ minor | Op. P 1 No. 16 | 1870 | 1830 |  |
| 21 | C minor | Op. P 2 No. 8 | 1870 | 1837 |
（wiki）
关于肖邦夜曲的一些网上摘文：
夜曲（Norturne）的语源系拉丁语NOX所演变，罗马时代“夜神”之意。夜曲的音乐形式，系爱尔兰的音乐家费尔德（Filed 1782-1837）所制，在低音部和弦伴奏下，高音部奏出夜的寂静，似梦一般优雅的旋律。之所以给这种形式命名为“夜曲”，可能取自天主教会的“夜祷”。
肖邦音乐中的梦幻感是意境浓密，情致万繁，万般迷人的。而最能让我们陶醉于这一诗一般梦境的，就是他的夜曲。肖邦的夜曲，一共21首，其中有两首是没有编号的。他将夜曲发展成为意境深远的体裁，远远地超越了费尔德。正像哈聂卡所评述的那样：“肖邦是把费尔德的形式筑高，吹进戏剧性的气息，热情，使之更加壮大。费尔德的夜曲是朴素的牧歌形。肖邦所努力的不是单纯的表达，而是经过装饰，太过于阴郁、热带性，或说带有东方的气息。”
钢琴家鲁宾斯坦演绎的肖邦夜曲全集，可能是因为他与肖邦同属波兰人，作品中高贵而忧郁的气质被恰到好处的展示出来，如某个作家说的那样，你听鲁宾斯坦演奏的肖邦夜曲可以当成是作曲家本人在弹琴，因为实在想像不出这夜曲还有别的弹法。（http://blog.bandao.cn/archive/33593/blogs-326421.aspx）
肖邦写过的《夜曲》太多了.
其中著名的有降b小调 夜曲 （作品9之1） 本曲作于1830-1831年间。作品9中共有三首夜曲，这是肖邦最早出版的夜曲。而作品9之1则是肖邦夜曲的"最初之最初"，其旋律非常优美，情绪极为丰富。
乐曲的构成是：甚缓板，6/4拍，三段形式。第一段旋律充满柔和而朦胧的魅力，节奏处理十分自由；乐曲的中段由八度音奏出降D大调的旋律，这是非常甜蜜的旋律，此曲之所以能使人迷醉，也全在这一部分。肖邦一生总共创作了21首夜曲。夜曲这种体裁在传统上主要用于表现深夜的宁静，旋律通常如梦一般清幽、柔美。肖邦的夜曲并不只是单纯地继承了传统夜曲的表现风格，而是使夜曲的形式趋向自由，内容也多样化了，变得更加热情、更加完美。
肖邦的夜曲集，一直是我喜欢的古典音乐作品。今天外出淘碟，终于把心仪的葡萄牙女钢琴家皮雷斯的版本找到了，真是不虚此行。在此之前，我已收有鲁宾斯坦，傅聪和弗朗索瓦的肖邦。也曾找到过一套阿劳的肖邦，后送给一朋友了。
皮雷斯以女性特有的细腻和温柔，将肖邦夜曲深邃的意境，近乎完美的再现。营造出一种行云流水般酣畅的质感。每一颗音符都晶莹透亮，鲜活，充满诗意。
以最著名的降b小调第一号夜曲为例，这也是肖邦最有名的夜曲之一，音乐起处，就令人想到夜空的熠熠星光。听着她的演奏，仿佛置身在夜幕下的花园，独自躺在草地上，细数天上的星星，渐渐坠入梦乡......
皮雷斯给了夜曲一种舒缓的意境，她在速度上较慢的处理，使夜曲呈现出一种悠远的情境。淡了忧伤，只留下纯粹温柔的夜，静谧而安详。 http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/47308356
