Formation of the piano nocturne genre in Russia

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the piano miniature genre (such as mazurka, impromptu, song without words, humoresque, etc.), its place in the instrumental music of the 19th century. Lyrical piano miniatures in this period of time become an expression of the very essence of the romantic worldview. The most important role in the development of the piano miniature was played by the rapid improvement of the instrument itself. Over a century, the piano has come a long way, turning into a concert instrument. The pianist began to have a rich range of shades in the areas of touché, dynamics, articulation, intonation, which also stimulated the imagination of miniature composers. Among various genres of the piano miniatures (mazurka, impromptu, song without words, humoresque, etc.), a nocturne originated from the fusion of the tradition of vocal “night music” and lyric-dramatic miniatures. The first composer to approve the nocturne genre in a similar vein was the prominent Irish-Russian pianist, teacher and composer John Field. Comparing the nocturnes of Field and Chopin, the author comes to the conclusion that in the lyrical component of the creativity of the Field, he still remains at the level of everyday music making, while Chopin explores the depths of the genre, focusing on the internal component, human feelings and emotions. These two approaches, nocturne more as a form and nocturne more as an internal content, largely determined the development of the genre in Russia.