Nocturne

A nocturne is a form of music, usually for piano, which suggests the night (“nocturnal” means “of the night”). The Italian term Notturno has appeared in 18th-century music, but the Irish composer John Field was the first person to use the name Nocturne for his music. He was inspired by the slow, gentle tunes of Italian operas of his time (early 19th century). His nocturnes are mostly tunes with many long notes in the right hand over. Frédéric Chopin expanded the form.

 References 

 Related pages 
Nocturnes (Debussy)
Serenade

Category:Musical terminology