Abstract

My analysis of the two Opus 27 Nocturnes grew out of my prior instinct (when performing these two pieces) that the connections between them range far deeper than their foreground similarities. Having read Jeffrey Kallberg's article on 'Compatibility in Chopin's Multipartite Publications', in which he refers to issues such as tonality and closure, I decided to investigate the possibility of fundamental connections within this opus. The analytical method of this paper shows relationships between the individual pieces of Opus 27 that will concern performers as well as analysts. Following the rhythmic implications of a Schenkerian analysis that focuses on the details (as well as the deep structure) of these pieces reveals these deeper connections in a way that may be of interest to performers. After noting interesting foreground similarities between the two pieces, the analysis looks at the connection from the first Nocturne into the second. Finally, it focuses on the 'premises' that are set up in the first piece and how they develop throughout both works. As we will see, some of these premises do not conclude totally in the first Nocturne and are more deeply explored and finally resolved in the second.