Chopin Nocturne in E minor

I have worked on this piece for about three months now. It certainly posed a lot of challenges, from technical to musical to psychological. In the end, though, I used it for a scholarship audition. The plan had been to use the audition to force myself to learn it, since there was something very real on the line. It worked in that sense, but it also provided a sense of deep accomplishment for myself that was completely unrelated to extrinsic rewards. It has quickly become one of my favorite pieces, either to listen to or to play.

This Nocturne, to me, feels like crying. It’s bitter and melancholy and frustrating, sure, but it also provides a sense of relief. Crying, from a biological perspective, releases hormones that help to alleviate sadness and anguish in our mind, stimulating our brains to feel better afterward. From a more emotional approach, it’s very cathartic. I will admit, there were parts of this piece that made me want to cry from frustration. Crying, though, helps to clear the mind and refocus. As a culture, perhaps one day we will start to see crying in a different light, similar to how one sees this piece: beautiful, emotional, and rewarding.