Chopin - Nocturne OP27 No2 Assistance

[adodd81802]

So I am reasonably good at the piano, had some training maybe 10 years ago and took it on more of a hobby rather than any thing serious. I picked up this piece last week and not having too much trouble with it however my theory is a little rusty.

I believe them to be called mordents? - Short trills, something Chopin seems to love!
My understanding of them to be depending on the shape of the zig zag dictates whether you are short-trill the initial note and immediate above or immediate below.

My question is when it comes to multiple notes. I have attached examples. Can somebody please clarify with double note mordents am I supposed to quickly trill the single note above the top or both notes up and back? I have heard this piece enough to know how it should sound, but my fingers are struggling. In the first example I have been tying to play F+Ab with fingers 1-4, tril to the Gb-Bb with 3+5, back down to F+Ab and then onto the next passage of notes Eb+Gb with 2-3.

If i'm unclear, please let me know. I assume if it's singular the notation would have just been grace notes. But my fingers do not like the quick double trill - specially that pinky!

[amytsuda]

That's really interesting. I can't give the answer because I am also an amateur hobbyist, and often play things without realizing those details (my teacher tells me I have a habit of making up music, as a negative side effects of being a fast sight reader). I just listened on YouTube to Rubinstein, Kissin, Avdeeva, Yundi Li and Valentia Lisitsia, and found everyone does it differently!! Rubinstein does double notes and I do too (probably because I grew up listening to his LP). The first example is 1-3 2-4 1-3 1-2 (Eb+Gb) and the second example is 1-4 2-5 1-4 1-3 (C#+A#) - that's what I have been doing. I await some expert opinions from someone!

[bronnestam]

It must be just the upper note, or otherwise it would sound just weird. You know, you can cheat if it is too difficult ... so skip the trills for now, and learn them when the rest of the piece is crystal clear for you, or play the trill just as an acciaccatura. 

[adodd81802]

I did think that. But in a number of versions I've heard I am convinced the double notes are played, but I simply can't get my fingers to play in the same way i'm hearing. Making me doubtful!

The finger numbers marked in the notation in my example leads me to believe the same thing that they expect double notes but 1-4 to 3-5 to 1-4 is quite difficult to get smooth and quick.