Noctave
The piece
Ferdinand Hiller, a pianist and composer who was Chopin’s friend in Paris, received the dedication of all three Op. 15 nocturnes. This third one opens with markings that sum up its character: Lento, languido e rubato. A slightly lingering melody in triple time stretches out over a left hand alternating chords and bass notes; later, a second part marked religioso changes tone entirely, in sotto voce chorale chords, and the piece ends on a G major chord. The text follows Maurice Schlesinger’s original edition.
Chords make up more than a quarter of the attacks, and the harmony is dense: a fifth of the notes carry an accidental outside the key signature, which calls for slow reading at first. The rubato is part of the markings themselves: let the right hand linger or press forward, but keep the left hand steady as it jumps back and forth between the chord and the low note. In the chorale, connect the chords like voices, make the top one sing, and keep the sound restrained.