Monthly Archives: November 2014

Nocturnes – Poulenc

Posted on November 23, 2014 by Christine Stevenson

Unlike most nocturnes,  Poulenc’s set of eight nocturnes forms a cycle, with the final one serving as a coda (Nocturne pour servir de coda au cycle). They were composed at intervals between 1929 and 1938, and published separately at first. … Continue reading →

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Lest We Forget

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Christine Stevenson

It is the weekend of Remembrance, more poignantly felt this year perhaps as we remember the centenary of the commencement of WW1 in 1914. This morning I make an early stop at Tower Hill to see the breathtaking installation of 888,246 … Continue reading →

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Fauré – Nocturne No 3 in A Flat Major

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Christine Stevenson

Today, November 4th, 2014, marks the ninetieth year after Fauré’s death; an appropriate time to write about his contribution to the Nocturne genre. There are thirteen of them, composed throughout his career from 1875 to 1922, from Opus 33 to … Continue reading →

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Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata – Movements 2 and 3

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Christine Stevenson

So how to follow the brooding darkness of the first movement of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ sonata? Transpose the final RH chord up an octave, transpose it into a major key – D flat major – change the metre to a graceful … Continue reading →

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