Noctave
The piece
A gentle 6/8 sway, close to a barcarolle, carries this nocturne. The first theme moves in thirds and sixths in the right hand, in waves that rise and fall; it alternates with a calmer, more songlike second theme set over deep bass notes. Rather than a three-part form with a stormy centre, the piece is built on this back-and-forth between two moods, ending quietly in G major. The text comes from the original Breitkopf & Härtel print.
Double notes are the core of the work: playing even, connected thirds and sixths takes careful fingering, with fingers 4 and 5 holding the upper voice while the thumb slides underneath. Practise them without pedal first, so you can hear every note of both voices. The key signature has only one sharp, yet more than one note in three carries an accidental, so the chromatic writing makes reading harder than the key suggests. The piece also covers a wide range, from a very low C to a high D, and its 21 grace notes and 7 rolled chords should stay supple within the lilt of the bar.