"Nocturne in E Flat Major" - Musical Analysis #2

If you're someone like me who's watched countless short videos on YouTube, then you've most likely heard this classical piece playing in the background in one of them. I'm talking about Nocturne in E Flat Major written and composed by Frederic Chopin. This song was published in 1832 during the Romantic period of music in the city of Paris, and is considered Chopin's most famous piece out of the 21 Nocturnes. Just hearing the first few notes would make most people recognize what is being played. I feel like this could be something to enjoy on a relaxing day, or background music to give a nice atmosphere while doing an important task during the day.



Meter - The song is written in a 12/8 time signature and is played in such a way that it sounds like a waltz, but not really intended to be. Many classical pieces use a 3/4 time signature, with a heavy emphasis on the first note which is common for waltzes, but this piece feels like its meant to be listened to during a calm night. 

Melody - The song begins with a melody that is easily recognizable and memorable, and has a dreamy and melancholic mood throughout the piece. It features a bel canto style, which is Italian for "beautiful singing", from 19th century operas. 

Tempo - The tempo of the song remains moderately slow throughout, like a walking pace or Andante. The piece is also played with rubato, which are slight fluctuations in speed to give more expression and rhythmic freedom.

Harmony - As the title suggests, the song is mainly written with the chord of E flat major, including the minor iv chords in order to create tension. V7 chords frequently use suspension to enhance the vocal-like quality of the melody. 

Dynamics - The dynamics are generally quiet (piano) with some increase in volume up to moderate, including frequent crescendos and diminuendos to express complex emotions. 



Sources:

Nocturne for piano No.2 in E flat major - AllMusic

Nocturnes, Op. 9 (Chopin) - Wikipedia

My Original Analysis of Chopin's op.9 no.2 Nocturne in E-flat - Steemit

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2026 at 11:54 AM

    I love this piece. It feels born for the piano, given the large numbers of simultaneous notes and mixture of short and drawn-out notes. I like what you said about the meter feeling appropriate for night time; that's exactly what a nocturne is, and this one accomplishes it well through its dreamy notes. Another element I feel is important in this song is pitch. Especially toward the end, even though the song ends on low notes, it has a walk down from very high ones on the keyboard, which almost give me the feel that the song is lingering in its own ethereal nature as long as it can before it ends.
    I read an article on the history of the nocturne (and who Chopin got them from) that you might find interesting:
    History of the Nocturne

    ReplyDelete
  2. Benjamin BoutonFebruary 26, 2026 at 6:07 PM

    I have heard this song before and I really like it. I like how slow and calming it is. Now I am glad that I know the name of it. I wish there was a little bit more about the different musical elements because I would like to know more. I play piano but am not very talented so I am curious to know what a V7 chord is. Is there a part of the song that you particularly enjoy? Can you play it on piano?

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