Any haunting nocturnal piece to recommend?

[Jemmers]

Can anyone recommend a good nocturnal piece? Preferably one that's haunting and dreamy. Of intermediate difficulty preferably, because this is just for leisure.
For example, something like Albeniz's Cordoba. But of course, I know that one... I had to study it for my grade 8 abrsm exams.

[thracozaag]

Can anyone recommend a good nocturnal piece? Preferably one that's haunting and dreamy. Of intermediate difficulty preferably, because this is just for leisure.
For example, something like Albeniz's Cordoba. But of course, I know that one... I had to study it for my grade 8 abrsm exams.

If you like Albeniz, try Evocacion.

[allchopin]

I think I'll go for it- I'll state the obvious.  Have you looked at Chopin's Nocturnes yet?

[bernhard]

Some pieces not on the well-trodden path, and all around or below grade 8 (ABRSM)

John Field’s Nocturnes (he invented the genre!) There are 18 of them ranging in difficulty from grade 6 – 8 (ABRSM). My favourite is no. 4 in A. Benjamin Frith has recorded the whole set for Naxos.

Enrique Granados -  “Dedication” is just one page long and very beautiful. Grade 4 (ABRSM). Martin Jones has recorded all of Granados piano music for Nimbus.

Edvard Grieg -  “Notturno” is haunting and yet not the usual nocturne pattern (Lyric pieces, Op. 54/4). Many recordings – I particularly like Leif Ove Andnes on Grieg’s piano (EMI).  Grade 7 ABRSM.

Gabriel Fauré – Nocturnes op. 33 no. 1, op. 33 no.2, op. 33 no.3, op. 36, op. 37.  Also have a look at his “Romances sans paroles” Op. 17 (not exactly nocturnes, but very beautiful and lyric). They have all been recorded by Pascal Rogé (Decca)

Anton Arensky – Consolation (op. 36 no. 5), Elegie (op. 36 no. 16). Around grade 7/8. I don’t know of any recordings, and would be interested to be informed.

Cecile Chaminade – Nocturne op. 165, and Consolation Op. 87 no. 5 Peter Jacobs has recorded Chaminade’s piano music for Hyperion. These pieces are on the second volume. Grade 8+.

Gaetano Donizetti – “La ricordanza” – Grade 6/7. Also”Larghetto in A minor” – grade 7/8 -  which is a nocturne like version for piano of the famous aria “Una furtiva lacrima”. I do not know of any recordings of Donizetti piano music (yes, he did write piano solo music!), and would be interested to be informed.

Robert Schumann – There are some very beautiful, lyrical pieces by Schumann on his Album for the young. I particularly like Op. 68 no. 35 (“Mignon”) and Op. 68 no. 30 (“***”) – grade 5. Michael Endres has recorded the whole set (Arte Nova).

This should keep you busy for a while!

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Jemmers]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I won't be trying Chopin though (you'd think I would've considered him wouldn't you?). I'm just saturated with Chopin right now, so I was thinking of going for something that wasn't by him.

[DAwud7]

U can Also try the nocturne by Debussy and his ballad those are great. There is also a Reverie by Balakirev.

[noodle]

You can never go wrong with Chopin.  My personal favorite is No. 7 in c# minor.  It has a left hand passage that sounds killer, but it's actually not that hard.

[e60m5]

Schumann's Traumerie.

[chopinetta]

chopin chopin chop-chop... the famous nocturne in c# minor opus posthumous... the one chopin composed in 1829 or something...

[Rach3]

The Andante of Brahms' f minor sonata. Very haunting.

[dinosaurtales]

I am with Bernhard on the John Fields.  They are really nice, and not played very often.  He's right.  Field is credited with *inventing* the nocturne, whatever that really means, and he is sometimes referred to as the poor man's Chopin!

But good luck finding them!  

[chopinetta]

i have been thinking of john field for a very long time already. but i couldn't remember his name! so its john field, yes, from whom chopin got his ideas of nocturnes!

[IgnazPaderewski]

Prokofev Sonata no.7 mvt 3  

[bernhard]

I am with Bernhard on the John Fields.  They are really nice, and not played very often.  He's right.  Field is credited with *inventing* the nocturne, whatever that really means, and he is sometimes referred to as the poor man's Chopin!

But good luck finding them!  

Field was a pupil of Clementi who was by then a piano manufacturer. Field used to "demonstrate" how easy it was to play in one of his master's pianos! Clever piece of marketing by old Clementi. One can only wonder at the reaction of the buyer once he got home with his new instrument but it would not play as well! No refund policy in those days...  Eventually Field got tired of being a slave and moved on to Russia for the rest of his life, where he made a big impact both as a piano teacher and as a performer - and probably invented the "Russian Piano School" as well!

His Nocturnes are published by Schirmer (edited by Liszt no less!) but there are other editions as well.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[eddie92099]

Prokofev Sonata no.7 mvt 3  

I think you mean mvt. 2,
Ed

[liszmaninopin]

Amongst the Chopin nocturnes, perhaps the most evocative of night for me is the op. 9 #1.  The opening passage is so beautiful.  To tell you the truth, though, when I play the piece I usually do some cuts in the middle, as it gets a tad repetitive to me.

[shatteringpulse]

If you aren't shy of chords...and arid textures...I think the most haunting piece of all is Rachmaninoff's Etude-Tableau No. 7 in C Minor.

It's haunting, and harrowing...and it reminds me of night--a little. But it takes quite a bit of practice to pull it off musically in a recital.

And that's op. 39!

[ravel]

ok  
its one of debussy s preludes from book two , i dont know the exact french title , but it translates " the audience in the terrace by the moonlight " , what else,
its seems fairly easy as well,   umm , ondine in the same book, and theres  some other preludes too by him, which have that haunting character,
ravelsgaspard de la nuit,   ( haha fairly easy , that is,  hehe just kidding, )
well, le gibet, shouldnt be that hard , it doenst sound hard, so well, u could give that a try, thats reallllly haunting,  specially when argerich plays it, i am dead scared, no kidding , dont want to listen to it before i sleep, or i ll get night mares, but its lovely
prokofievs sonata 8 movement 2, thats haunting,