My most recent endeavour into piano music is Chopin's Nocturne in f, Op. 55 No. 1. I was entranced by the simple, repeated melody and Chopin's talent of introducing small variations to keep you on your toes. The piece, in a minor key which tend to gain my favor, had caught my ear when I saw Vladimir Horowitz' 1965 televised recital in Carnegie Hall. His touching performance convinced me to attempt the piece (not being able to get it out of my head contributed to this), and so last month I embarked on this adventure. Using one of Grandpa's old sheet music (complete collection of Chopin's Nocturnes) I plowed in and was pleased to discover that with some years of piano practice I can pickup new pieces with more ease.
At the point of writing this, I am halfway (two pages) into the piece and work on refining what I have already learned. I will admit that the first two pages are probably the easiest in terms of technique, but I am pleased with the results nonetheless. The next two pages are a bit more agitated, so it may take more time to get to a satisfiable level. I am most worried about the stretto section towards the end, where I need to accelerate on the right hand and yet play lightly. I have had to learn to play like that before, in Chopin's Nocturne in E Op. 9, No. 2, yet that section is in octaves and has some slight leaps. In the end, the technique for these two nocturnes' stretto sections is different and may prompt a post on the experiential difference later on.
Here is a rough draft of the first half of the nocturne.
Happy Friday to all!