A C♯ minor nocturne that turns to C♯ major for its last eight bars.
101 bars4/4Larghetto4-page PDFLevel 6 of 8
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Form
A theme, C♯ minorA′ theme with a second voiceB più mossoC A♭ majorD D♭ major, then CT climax and cadenzaA″ theme returnsCoda C♯ major
Opening, bars 1–6 · C♯ minor
Section by section
A (1–18): the theme
Over Chopin's bare fifths, the theme reaches F♯ minor (iv) through C♯⁷, then D major (♭II, the Neapolitan), which goes straight back to C♯ minor with no dominant between.
B (29–48): più mosso
Faster, in 3/4. V⁷ and i alternate, then the same a fourth higher, while Chopin's bass climbs a step per bar. Bars 45–48 cadence in E major.
C and D (49–80): A♭, D♭, C
Bars 49–52 cadence in A♭ major (G♯, the dominant, respelled). D♭ major follows at bar 65; bar 72 pivots to C major, and bars 73–77 repeat 65–69 a half step lower.
T (81–83): the climax
B♯°⁷ (vii°⁷ of C♯ minor) is held fff. Bar 83 reaches V⁷, and a cadenza runs down it into the theme.
Coda (94–101): why it ends in C♯ major
At bar 94 the tonic takes E♯, its major third, and keeps it. The last chords are F♯ (IV), C♯ with F♯ in place of E♯, then C♯ major.
The PDF includes a full page of analysis.
