Dusk Descends; Fryderyk Chopin gets the Blues… by Visionete

Arrangement of Chopin's Posthumous C#-minor Nocturne #20

Background

This particular nocturne was composed by Chopin in his youth and he
never published it. Uncharacteristically, the piece is almost
entirely monophonic in both the right hand melody and the left hand
accompaniment. Whenever I'd attempted to practice it, I found the
sparseness of the melody - with its slow tempo and prolonged trills
- elusive to phrase satisfactorily.

Technique

Remaining faithful to Chopin's score, the nocturne is arranged for
electric guitar, harp and piano. Guitar was chosen as a stringed
instrument to facilitate articulation of the slow notes of the melody,
unfolding as they play. Received performance of the mid section,
comprising arpeggios in the dominant key, is often rushed through,
almost as if to get it over with. Harp was chosen for its soft
timbre, in a bid to convey contrasting lightness, and for its
aesthetic timbre, in a bid to enjoy this section taking its time.

Piano is retained for the canonical nocturne left-hand accompaniment.

The intro is somewhat off-kilter with the main body of the piece -
its offset metre and dominant harmony perhaps alluding to the mid
section. Giving the intro and coda to the harp hopes to frame the
piece as a whole.

Mood

Bluesy electric guitar asserts a heavier phrasing than the tone of
delicate refinement classically associated with Chopin. Blues
phrasing brings out aspects of yearning melancholy in the melody.
Contrast with the harp highlights certain structural aspects of the
piece traditionally left implicit.