Influence
When first published, Chopin’s nocturnes were met with mixed reactions from critics, though many of them were not in his favor. However, through the process of time, many who had initially been displeased with the nocturnes found themselves retracting previous criticisms, holding the short compositions in high respect.
While the popularity of individual nocturnes has varied considerably since Chopin's death, they have retained a significant position in the piano repertoire, with the Op. 9 No. 2 in E♭ major and the Op. 27 No. 2 in D♭ major perhaps the most enduringly popular.
Various composers from both Chopin’s lifetime and later have expressed their influence from his work with nocturnes. Such artists as Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner display similar melodic technique and style in their music as Chopin. Other composers such as Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Liszt described the genius that lay within Chopin’s nocturnes. It is clear that these short piano compositions made a noticeable and lasting impact on music and composition during the romantic period.
Chopin extracted much of his influence from poetry and paintings, often using his surroundings to inspire his melodies and phrasing. His Nocturne compositions are a clear example of the beauty of nature and display his impressionism.
Read more about this topic: Chopin Nocturnes
Famous quotes containing the word influence:
“It behooves every man to see that his influence is on the side of justice, and let the courts make their own characters.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Modern Western thought will pass into history and be incorporated in it, will have its influence and its place, just as our body will pass into the composition of grass, of sheep, of cutlets, and of men. We do not like that kind of immortality, but what is to be done about it?”
—Alexander Herzen (1812–1870)
“Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations, as all other causes combined.”
—John Abbott. The Mother at Home; or the Principles of Maternal Duty, John Abbott, Crocker and Brewster (1833)