Nocturnes for Two (Chopin)

Composed between 1827–1846 and considered among some of the finest works for solo piano ever written, Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturnes remain widely-performed today, easily distinguishable by his innovative use of counterpoint rhythms and dramatically emotional melodies. Arranged for marimba duo, the warm timbre of the instrument truly lends itself to the melancholy nature of the music and offers an opportunity for vast expression of emotion during performance.

Genre: Duet for 2 Marimbas | # of Players: 2
Level: Medium | Duration: 8:00 total

Instrumentation
Marimba 1 (4-octave)
Marimba 2 (5-octave)

*Both performers may play on one 5-octave instrument.

Program Notes
Composed between 1827–1846 and considered among some of the finest works for solo piano ever written, Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturnes remain widely-performed today, easily distinguishable by his innovative use of counterpoint rhythms and dramatically emotional melodies. Arranged for marimba, the warm timbre of the instrument truly lends itself to the melancholy nature of the music and offers an opportunity for vast expression of emotion during performance.

The performers are encouraged to play with tempo and dynamics a great deal throughout the piece, at their discretion. Despite the general lack of notation found in Chopin’s music for it, he was famous for his liberal use of rubato, and his music was composed to accommodate appropriate amounts of flux in tempo. The rolled sections also present an opportunity for swells in dynamics more marked and much smoother than what might be conceivable for piano.

Arranged to avoid crossing ranges, the duets may be performed on two separate instruments or on a single 5-octave marimba, depending on the performers’ preference.