Nocturne Opus. 9, No. 2 by Chopin
Micaela H.
-
I have been studying the piano for over 10 years, which has allowed me to strengthen my technical and artistic abilities. At this point in my piano development, I can choose from a wide variety of works to play. I have tinkered with many genres of music including classical, pop, musical theater, cinematic music, and more. For this competition, I chose to play a classical piece written by Chopin. This piece, Nocturne Opus. 9 No. 2, is a beautiful and technically challenging composition. I worked many hours on the balance between the left hand multi octave jumps and right hand fioritura (flourishes). My goal with this Nocturne is to be able to play the right hand as if it is singing above the left hand. I also have a deeply personal connection with this piece, since it is my grandmother’s favorite piece and she has been playing it for me since I was born. Every time it rains, we listen to it and she tells me the story of how Chopin wrote this piece at night, while rain was pouring down and he was worried about his lover, George Sand, out in the pouring rain. We believe the last note of the piece is the final sound of a raindrop as the rain stops pouring down and finally rests into silence. I hold this image in my head every time I play the piece and see the notes as rain drops moving through the piece to its final resting chord.
-
Creativity is when I take what I feel inside and present abstract, intangible emotions in a tangible manner to share with others. Music has always been my second language and my avenue for expressing emotion, something I find difficult to do with words. Creativity is my vulnerability on display.
