Chopin - Nocturne 72-1 melody analisys

[pakkun]

Hello ! I recently studied this piece. There is a passage in the melody I find really beautiful, and I would like to ask you an opinion/analysis about it.

What did Chopin think when he composed this passage ? It's at the beginning of the second part, broken chords with double notes right after ; I circled them in green. Such a beautiful melody really ... 

Thanks in advance ! 

[lelle]

No idea what he was thinking, but it's a beautiful passage for sure! The Nocturne has overall a quite mournful and expressive character, and just before this passage is a brief moment in C major, offering some warmth and respite from the sadness. The circled passage has a simple melody with a common chord progression which is often used to escalate the tension, and it effectively ramps up the expression returning to minor keys, creating a mournful buildup to a small climax before the B section which is in major.

Haha that kinda sounded like ChatGPT wrote it, I promise it was me!

In short, I think Chopin wanted to ramp the tension, sadness and expression back up after a brief respite in C major

[ranjit]

My personal view: Look at the ascending octaves a few measures before it. You want a variation of that without being as intense, which is more drawn out (elaboration of the first motif which was stated briefly), and which modulates somewhere. Very similar theme, repeated notes to prolong it and add tension, ascending chromatic melody for interest and to setup a modulation.