KK IVb Nr.8

While there are various theories regarding the composition date of this nocturne, many 20th-century Chopin scholars consider it to be 1837 (M. J. E. Brown, 1872; K. Kobilańska, 1977). If so, this nocturne would be contemporaneous with the Two Nocturnes, Op. 37 (Nos. 11 and 12). Regarding this piece, one complete autograph manuscript and two sketches remain. The former bears the inscription “Nocturne” in Chopin's hand, which is why it is currently counted as Nocturne No. 21. This piece was published only in the 20th century, with its first publication in Warsaw in 1939.

The form of this piece is somewhat unusual compared to the nocturnes published during Chopin's lifetime, and its scale is also small. The piece is entirely divided into four-bar phrases. Each phrase can be categorized into four types—a, b, c, and d—based on its melodic and harmonic characteristics. Diagramming this reveals the following structure:

Typically, in Chopin's nocturnes, the theme presented at the beginning returns in the tonic key in the latter half of the piece. However, in this piece, the motif repeated in the first 17 measures does not return after its initial appearance. Rather, it is the motifs b and c, highlighted in the diagram above, that are recapitulated in the tonic key in the latter half. In other words, this piece lacks the symmetrical A (tonic key) – B (X key) – A (tonic key) structure found in his published works.

Another point where this nocturne differs from other nocturnes published during his lifetime is its ornamentation. In his nocturnes, Chopin invariably adds ornamentation when the same melody is repeated. This suggests his usual practice of improvising ornamentation the second time a melody was repeated (a crucial difference from modern performance practice, which dictates playing even the most minute ornamental notes exactly as written). However, what about this piece? The melodies of a1 and a1' are notated with exactly the same ornamentation. Such an occurrence is not common in Chopin's notation. Considering the nocturnes Chopin authorized for publication as a standard, it can be inferred that this piece was likely composed with less enthusiasm, both in terms of its musical plan and melodic inventiveness. (Yasushi Ueda)