Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
The purpose of this project is to present a violist with complete transcription and performer’s guide of Fryderyk Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 27, No. 2 originally written for solo piano in 1835. Chopin wrote predominately for the piano, and the nocturnes are some of his most sublime works that have a personal quality that likely reflect a diary of his personal feelings. At the beginning of this document a brief overview of the composer’s lifetime and analysis of the events that took place around the time of composition are provided. Later on, the characteristic genre features, the formal structure, the influences of French song, Italian opera, John Field’s nocturnes, and the plausible meaning behind the work are described and discussed. The following chapters deal with the process of transcription, performance issues, hints on how to solve them, as well as the aspects of contribution to the dearth of Romantic viola repertory.